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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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PhotDgiaphic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  873-4503 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  0 
to  the 


The  institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographiually  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  bolow. 


D 


D 


D 


D 


D 


D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommagie 


Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurde  et/ou  peiiicui^e 


I      I    Cover  title  missing/ 


Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


I      I    Coloured  maps/ 


Cartes  gdographiques  en  couleur 


Coloured  inic  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


I      I   Coloured  plates  and/or  ill^jstrations/ 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Reiid  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  Interior  margin/ 

La  re  Mure  serrde  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intdrieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajout^es 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  ceia  6tait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6t6  film6es. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppl6mentaires; 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6X6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  mdthode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquis  ci-dessous. 


I      I   Coloured  pages/ 


D 
D 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommag^es 

Pages  restored  and/oi 

Pages  restaurdes  et/ou  peilicul^es 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxec 
Pages  d6coior6es,  tachetdes  ou  piqudes 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  d^tachdes 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Quality  indgaie  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  materia 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppldmentaire 


I  I  Pages  damaged/ 

I  ~k  Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 

I  I  Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 

I  I  Pages  detached/ 

r^  Showthrough/ 

I  I  Quality  of  print  varies/ 

I  I  includes  supplementary  material/ 


Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc..  have  been  ref limed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partieilement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuiliet  d'errata.  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6t6  fiim6es  d  nouveau  de  fapon  d 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


Their 
possil 
of  th( 
filmin 


Origir 
begin 
the  la 
sion, 
other 
first  t 
sion, 
or  illu 


The  Id 
shall 
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which 

Maps, 
differi 
entire 
beginr 
right  { 
requiri 
metho 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  fiimd  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqud  ci-dessous. 


10X 


14X 


18X 


22X 


26X 


30X 


7 


12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


iplaire 
.88  details 
liques  du 
int  modifier 
ixiger  une 
de  filmage 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thank* 
to  the  generosity  of: 

Thomas  Fisher  Rare  Boolt  Library, 
University  of  Toronto  Library 

The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


L'exemplaire  filmA  fut  reproduit  grdce  i  la 
gAnArositA  de; 

Thomas  Fisher  Rare  Book  Library, 
University  of  Toronto  Library 

Les  images  suivantes  ont  6t6  reproduites  avac  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettetA  de  l'exemplaire  film6,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contra!  de 
filmage. 


»d/ 
qudes 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprim6e  sont  filmds  en  commencant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
derniire  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  film^s  en  commenpant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


taire 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — ^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED "I,  or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  — ♦-  signifie  "A  SUIVRE  ".  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
film6s  &  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  gtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  cliche,  il  est  f\\m6  6  partir 
de  Tangle  sup^rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nicessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  methods. 


by  errata 
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une  pelure, 

fa^on  d 


1 

2 

3 

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1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

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2,N\v--\      V>M  V«V  "Z\ 


THE    FHEHCH    CflflflDlflri 


IN 


Quebec   and   JAbux   Englirnd. 


CONTENTS 


1.    CONTRASTED    CIVILIZATIONS. 


2.    THE  FRENCH  CANADIAN  AT  HOME. 


3.    ROMAN  CATHOLICISn   IN  CANADA. 


4.    FELLER  INSTITUTE,  GRANDE  LIGNE. 


5.    THE  GRANDE  LIGNE  HISSION. 


6.    THE   SHAHE    OF   SOREL. 


7.    THE^FRENCH  CANADIAN  IN  NEW  ENGLAND. 


8.    BAPTIST  MISSIONS  TO  THE   FRENCH 


IN    THE    UNITED    STATES, 


ra.  Cl^^^m^ri^an  jBapliBiPomq 


tBston 


)0ti^li^.  1893. 


The  General  MUslontry  Organiiatlon  of  American  BaptUli  fbr  the  KTangeltzatlon 

of  North  America. 

)«U()0,0(>0     iieoUcd     A.nnually.  ( 

THREK    DEPARTMENTS: 

1.     MISSION'     ■*.        2.     EDUCATIONAL.        3.    CHURCH    EDIFICE. 

PRESIDENT.— Hon.    E.   NELSON    15LAKE,    Mass. 

VICE-PRESIDENTS.- I  '.'•  ^-  ^^Ff'.Vvrr^'.-^'^"";, 

)  K.    M.   VAN   DUZEK,   Esq..    Minn. 

TREAS.— J.   GREENWOOD  SNELLING,    Esq.,   N.  V, 

AUDITORS.- W,V;\^1'|V^''i?*^A^4m'",?PA  ^r  ^'-    v    v 
(CHARLES   B.   CANHELD,    Esq.,    N.  Y. 

COR.    SECRETARY.— Rev.  THOMAS  J.  MORGAN,  N.  Y. 

ASSISTANT  COR.  SEC— Rkv.    ALEX.   TURNHULL,   N     Y. 

FIELD   SECRETARY.— H.    L.    MOREHOUSE,  D.D.,  N.  Y. 

REC.  SECRETARY.- A.   S.    HORART,   D.D.    N.  Y. 

CHAIRMAN    OF   THK   K.XKCUTIVK    BOARD, 
] 


T.  HISCOX,  D.  D. 

In  charge  of  Church  EJifice  Work, 
Supennlcndent  of  Education, 


SKCRETARY  OK  HOARD. 

PARKER   C.    l'AL>n;K. 

.       D.  W.  PERKINS,  Esq. 
M.  MacVICAR,  LL.D.,  N.  Y. 


GENERAL  SUPERINTENDENTS  OF  MISSIONS. 

MUsiRBlppI  DivlBlon.— III.,  Wis.,  Minn.,  N.  D.,  S.  D., 

Iowa.— Rev.  W.  M.  Haigh,  D.D.,  m  Wabash  Avenue, 

Chicago,  III. 
Rooky  Mountain  DIvIhIoii.— Neb.,   Ks.,    Ok.,    Wy., 

Col.,  N.  Mex.,  Aril.,  Utah,  Cal.— Rev.  H.  C.  \Vo->1., 

D.  D. ,  Colorado  Springs,  Col. 

The  French  in  N.  K.— Rev.  J.  N.  Williams.  615  Broad  St., 
Providence,  K.I. 

The  OernianH.— Rev.  G.  A.  Schultc,  320}^  Webster  Street, 

Jersey  City  Heights,  N.  J. 

Tlie  Vliineae. — Oea.   H.  F.    N'orris,  loii   Mason   St,  San 
Francisco,  Cal. 


DISTRICT  SECRETARIES. 

1.  N.  E.  Uiatriot.— Me.,  N.  H.,  Vt.,  Mass.,  R.  I.,  Ct.— 
Rev.  F.  T.  Hazlewood,  D  U.,  2A  Beacon  St  .  Boston,  Mass. 

a.  N.  Y.  District.— N.  Y.  and  Northern  N  J  —  Rev. 
Halsey  Moore,  D  U.,  Temple  Court,  New  York  City. 

3.  PhilatielphinDiiitrict.— Southern  N.J. ,  Pa.,  Del 

and  D.  C— E.  B.  Palmer,  D.U  ,    1420  Chestnut   Stieet, 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 

4.  Lalie  Ulatrict Mich,  and  Ohio.      Rev.   E.    H.   E 

Jameson,  D.D.,  loC  Smith  Ave.,  Detroit,  Mich. 
6.  Wabaiih  Uistrict.— Ind.  and  South  III.— Kev.  Dwight 
Spencer,  Lock  Box  106,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

6.  ChioHgo  UlHtrlct.- N.   III.   and  Wis.— Rev.   W.  M. 

Haigh,  D.U.,  122  Wabash  Ave.,  Chicago,  III. 

7.  Kefl  KiverUlHtrirt.— Minn.,  N,  D.  and  S.  D.— Rev. 

T.  R.  Peters,  1406  7th  Ave.,  N..  Minneapolis. 

8.  MiHHouri  Kiver  DiNtrict.— Iowa,   Nebr.  and  Ks.— 

Rev.  N.  U.  Rairden,  Washington,  Iowa. 


GENERAL  MISSI9NARIES. 

W.  Virginia.— Rev.  W.  E.  Powell,  916  Swan  St  ,  Parkcr»burg. 

Wisconsin. — Rev.  D.  E.  Halteman,  D.D.,  Delavan. 

Minnesota. — 

Iowa. — 

North  Dakota  —Kev.  C.  H.  Holdcn   Fargo. 

South  Dakota.— Kev.  T.  M.  Shanalelt.  D.U.,  Huron. 

Nebraska. — Rev.  J.J.  Keeler,  Central  City. 

Kansas.— Kev.  I.  D.  Newell,  Manhattan. 

Northern  Indian  Ter. — Rev.  A.  J.  Essex,  Muscogee. 

Southern  Indian  Ter. — Rev.  J.  S.  Murrow,  Atoka. 

Oklahoma  Territory. — Rev.  L.  J.  IJyke,  Oklahoma  City. 

Montana.— Rev.  L.  G.  Clark,  Helena. 

Wyoming. — Kev.  T.  T.  Howd,  Sncridan. 

Colo  -ado  and  New  Mexico.— Rev.  Geo.  P. Wright,  Denver. 

Washington.— Rev.   D.  D.    Proper,   isij    Washington   St., 

Se.itlle. 
Oregon — 

Northern  California. — Rev.  W.  H.  Latourette,  Oakland. 
S.  Cal.  and  Arizona  — Rev.  W.  W.  Tinker,  Los  Angeles. 
Central  Mexico  — Kev.  W.  H.  Sloan,  Calle  Norte  10,  Num. 

515.  City  of  Mexico. 
Northern  Mexico.  — Rtv. 'Ihoiiia?,  .M.  Wcstrup,  Monterey. 


GENERAL  MISSIONARIES  (Colored). 

Arkansas. — Rev.  J.  H.  Hoke,  Little  Rock. 
Florida. — Rev.  W.  A.  Wilkerson,   Flemington. 
Kansas. — Kev.  W,  L.  Grant,  Lawrence. 
Kentucky. — Rev.  P.   H.   Kennedy,   Henderson. 
Louisiana.— Rev.  H.   II.  N.  Brown,    \Ie.vandria. 
Missouri. — Rev.  H.  N.  Houcy,  Springh-.ld. 
North  Carolina. — Rev.  A.   It.  Vincent,  ;\.ileigh. 
Oklahoma  Territory.— I^ev.  W.   K.  Boone,  Lincoln. 
South  Carolina.— Rev.  E.  R.  Roberts,  Florence. 
Tennessee. — Rev.  W.   H.  C.  Siokes,  C(ivin:.;ton. 
Texas  —Rev.  A.  R.  Griggs,  328  Hull  Street,    Dallas. 
West  Virginia. 


LEGACIES. 

Fonn  of  Bequest  to  the  Society. — "  I  give  and  bequeath  to  the  American  Baptist  Home  Missio  ^toie., .  Tormed  in  New 
York  in  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  thirty-two,  the  sum  of for  the  general  purposes  uf  said  Sociclj." 

\  ~^  He  »«?»•//  careful  tit  comply  with  the  reqiiir'tueiitii  of  the  law  itt  itiaki;  g  your  will, 

A  ItKTTKIt  WAY,  The  Society  will  receive  your  money  now,  giving  a  bond  u  the  pay;iient  to  you  0;  an  annuity 
during  life,  if  you  so  desire  it. 

I5P  Coiiiniiiiiications  rclniing  to  the  worh  and  general  affairs  of  the  Society,  shoiitd  Ic  ni/iiresseci  to  Rev.  I'.  J  Morgan, 
Corresponding  Secretary. 

J^*^  In  the  transmission  of  funds,  nil  Checks,  Drafts  and  Post  Offiie  Orders  s/iould  tie  iiind'  pnyal'lc  to  Hie  order  of  the 
''American  Haptlst  Home  :Mt«j<tuM  tiociety,"  and  addressed  to  y.  G.  Smiling,  Tuasutcr.  •Contribution.;  may  also  bt 
sr-'  to  the  several  District  Secretaries. 

Jleadqunrtci-s  of  the  Society :  TEMYLE  COURT,  7  Bfekiiiaii  Slreet,  Ni^w  York  City. 


>.3 


THE   FRENCH    CANADIAN 


IN 


QUEBEC  AND  NEW   ENGLAND. 


Contrasted  Civilizations. 

Two  ilissimihir  currents  of  civilization 
liavf  contended,  are  contcndinij:  tor  mastery 
on  this  continent.  I  iiavc  stood  on  tlic  soil 
first  pre>scil  by  representatives  of  these  civ- 
ilizations—at  Plymouth,  wliere  the  Protest- 
ant Piltrrims  Kinded  in  1620 ;  at  Tadousac, 
l)V  the  junction  of  the  broad  St.  L.iwrcuce 
and  the  j^rand  Sa).juenay,  where  the  Catholic 
Cartier  landed  in  1534,  and  at  Quebec,  occu- 
pied by  Champlain  in  1608.  Here  was  to  be 
founded  a  "New  England" — there  a  "New 
France,"  New  England  is  a  glorious  real- 
ity ;  New  France  still  a  dream.  Note  the 
contrasts  in  spirit,  method  and  results. 
Cartier's  first  act  was  to  plant  the  cross  with 
the  French  coat  of  arms  affixed  and  dedicate 
the  soil  to  St.  Anne — the  patron  saint  of 
Canada.  The  Pilgrims'  first  act  was  to  kneel 
l)eneath  the  blue  and  dedicate  this  land  to 
Christ  and  His  truth.  At  Plymouth,  the 
most  precious  thing  is  the  Pilgrim's  well- 
worn  Bible  ;  at  Tj'dousac,  in  the  little  old 
Jesuit  cliaj)cl,  the  most  precious  thing  is  a 
small  doll  presented  in  1747  by  Louis  XV., 
and  marked:  "The  Infant  Jesus."  On  the  hill 
at  Plymouth  is  the  majestic  figure  of  Faith, 
buttressed  by  statues  of  Law,  Liberty,  Educa- 
tion and  Morality  ;  on  what  was  a  part  of  the 
Plains  of  Abraham  at  Quebec,  is  a  recently 
erected  Jesuit  statue  of  Loyola,  trampling 
underfoot  a  prostrate  figure  with  a  book  in 
his  hand.  Here,  the  evolution  of  a  new  or- 
der ot  things — there,  for  two  hundred  and 
fifty  years,  adherence  to  the  old  order ; 
heie,__siilendor — there,  the  shadows  of  Med- 
ia'valism  ;  here,  separation  of  Church  and 
State — there,  the  State  for  the  Church  ;  here, 
freedoir,  of  thought  and  of  conscience — 
there,  repression,  with  mental  and  s])iritual 
servitude  :  here,  democracy --there,  clerical 
absolutism  ;  here,  all  mechanism  for  the  pro- 
duction of  the  highest  type  of  the  individual 
man— there,  man  mercilessly  ground  up  for 
the  machine  ;  here,  in  1638,  a  printing  press 
whose  first  issue  was  a  pamphlet  on  the 
Free  Man — there,  no  printing  press  until 
1764,   or   156   y^ars   after  the   founding   of 


Quebec  ;  hero,  at  the  time  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, illiteracy  the  exception — there,  illiteracy 
the  rule  ;  here,  an  open  Ifible — there,  the 
Bible  bound  and  burned  to-day  by  jiriestly 
hands  ;  here,  the  doctrine  of  justification  by 
faith— there,  the  reproduction  of  the  "Santa 
Scala  "  of  Rome,  which  Luther  left  as  the 
light  broke  into  his  soul  ;  here,  Christ  ex- 
alted— there,  the  adoration  of  saints  and 
holy  bones  and  stones ;  here,  an  indepen- 
dent nation — there,  the  "  old  man  of  the 
sea"  on  the  neck  of  Quebec;  the  one  a 
magnet  attracting  the  world  to  itself — the 
other,  repellant  and  shunned  by  the  world's 
best  blood  ;  the  one  a  mighty  current  that 
has  nourished  the  noblest  characters,  that 
has  been  as  the  water  of  life  to  the  civilized 
world — the  other,  a  sluggish,  slimy  stream, 
that  has  fructified  nothing  and  given  to 
mankind  nothing  noteworthy ;  the  one  a 
civilization  where  Protestant  principles  are 
regnant — the  other,  a  civilization  where 
mediaeval  Romai^ism  is  rampant  ;  the  one 
a  i.  Mper — die  other,  a  hindrance  to  Gospel 
truth,  to  the  finest  type  of  Christian  man- 
hood, to  the  establishment  of  Christ's  spir- 
itual kingdom  on  earth.  Against  the  abhor- 
rent forces  of  this  Romish  civilization  we 
are  contending,  especially  in  New  England 
— the  old  spirit  of  Rome,  masked,  but  essen- 
tially unchanged. 


H.  L.  M. 


»«» 


The  French  Canadian  at  Home. 

His  home  is  chiefly  in  the  province  of 
Quebec,  of  which  Voltaire  contemptuously 
said  in  1763,  after  its  cession  to  England  : 
"  Only  a  few  fiiousaiid  acres  of  snow  I" 
Superabundant  snow,  indeed,  in  winter;  but 
in  summer  a  hind  that  compares  favorably 
with  the  northe-.-.  regions  of  New  England. 
The  region  south  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  about 
fifty  by  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  between 
Montreal  and  the  boundary  of  the  United 
States,  is  very  fertile,  as  also  some  sections 
north  of  the  river.  Below  Quebec  the  soil  is 
poorer.  Her  great  pine  forests  have  been  a 
source  of  wealth. 


I 


THE   HOME   MISSION    MONTHLY. 


To  one  from  the  United  Stales,  accustomed 
to  spacious  yards  uik!  i>road  farms  and  ro- 
inpf  (lirtctly  fnini  tlic  tidy,  tiirifty,  tasteful 
liomt  s  and  tiirins  and  villages  of  New  Kng- 
liind,  Cana«liaii  scenes  present  painful  con- 
trasts. The  rural  resiik'iice  is  usually  a 
small  one-story  l)uildinj,',  sometimes  white- 
wfislu (1,  perhaps  a  dormer  window  or  two 
in  the  ^jarret  ;  standint;  liieak  and  hare  to 
every  wind  that  hlows.  Seldom  is  a  shruh 
or  tree  to  he  seen  about  the  liarreii  hduse. 
Between  Montreal  and  the  States  there  is 
some  improvement  in  tiicse  respects. 

The  journey  from  Quebec  to  Riviere  du 
Loup,  one  luindrcd  and  twenty  miles  below, 
and  from  Quebec  to  Montreal,  about  the  same 
distance  al)ove,toyether  with  side  excursions, 
enabled  me  to  see  the  general  character  and 
condition  of  the  best  part  of  tlie  province. 
The  farm-houses  are  studded  along  the 
Inghways  like  beads  on  a  string.  Farms 
generally  iiave  a  frontage  of  about  sixteen 
or  twenty  rods  on  tlie  road  and  run  back 
like  ribbons,  often  iwo  or  three  miles.  This 
has  resulted  from  subdivisions  of  estates  for 
tiie  children.  Neighbors  are  within  easy 
call  and  the  social  tastes  of  the  people  arc 
met.  Tic  village  residence,  ordinarily,  is 
nearly  on  a  line  with  the  street  and  aiiytliing 
but  attractive.  In  the  country,  you  n>ay  sec 
women  in  the  fields,  binding  and  loaduig 
the  grai.i  and  doing  other  manual  h.bor.  In 
Quebec  I  saw  about  7,000  people  by  electric 
light  as  they  listened  to  t!ie  marine  band  of 
the  warsliip  "  Blake,"  and  witnessed  also  the 
"  Labor  Day  "  parade.  They  were  orui-rly, 
fairly  well  dressed,  but  in  this  respect  as  well 
as  in  their  general  appearance  they  com- 
pared unfavorably  with  what  is  seen  here  on 
similar  occasions. 

Large  FaniiUeH. 

Advocates  of  the  Maltliusian  theory  may 
find  food  for  reflection  in  these  French 
families.  Such  families  !  The  ordinary 
family  numbers  from  seven  to  twelve  chil- 
dren. One  of  the  Society's  missionaries  in 
New  England,  who  was  born  in  Canada,  is 
the  seventeenth  ciiild  and  liierc  are  ninety- 
one  living  descendants  of  his  grandfather's 
household.  At  Maskinongc  1  met  a  man  who 
has  twenty-one  brodiers  and  sisters,  and 
learned  of  three  married  sisters  who  were 
the  mothers  of  sixty-three  children.  This 
prolific  race  is  largely  outpopulating  the 
English,  so  that  it  is  no  empty  l)oast  of  the 
priesthood  that  in  another  generation   they 


will  be  a  vast  host  to  control  not  only  Can- 
ada but  portions  of  New  Englanil  also.  And 
to  mal<e  the  matter  belter,  or  worse,  .trcord- 
ing  as  it  may  be  viewed,  the  Qui'bt  e  Legis- 
lature, sivcral  years  ago,  actually  voted  a 
grant  of  one  hinulred  acres  of  the  public 
lands  to  the  father  of  thirteen  children. 
Whether  this  was  an  inducement  to  the 
rearing  of  large  f;;milies,  or  a  reward  of 
merit,  iloes  not  clearly  ajjpe.u".  Old  bache- 
lors aiul  old  maids  must  be  below  pai'  in  the 
province  of  Quebec.  For  130  years  there 
has  been  no  emigration  from  France  to 
Canada  ;  on  the  contrary  a  French  Can:ulian 
exodus  of  about  half  a  million  to  the  liiiled 
States,  and  yet  there  was  an  increase  of 
aljout  ten  percent,  in  the  population  ot  the 
province  during  th-,;  ten  years  prior  to  1891, 
in  contrast  to  an  increase  of  barely  one  jier 
cent,  in  France  for  the  same  period.  The 
population  of  (Quebec  according  to  tlu- 
census  of  1891  is  1,489,431,  of  whom  i.igt,- 
257  ai'e  Roman  Catholics.  The  total  popu- 
lation of  the  Dominion  is  about  five  mil- 
lions. The  increase  for  the  dec  id  was 
129,504,  of  whom  121,257  were  added  to  the 
Roman  Catholic  population  ;  6,118  to  the 
Anglican  Church  ;  2,31410  the  Presbyterians; 
577  to  the  Methodists,  other  denominations 
showing  but  trifling  gains,  some  a  loss.  Is 
it  true,  as  some  one  has  pithily  said  :  "  The 
victory  won  by  the  men  of  the  English  race 
upon  the  plains  of  Abraham,  is  avenged  by 
the  women  of  the  race  of  Montcalm." 

AbiiorpUf>n. 

The  French  Canadians  also  absorb  people 
of  other  nationalities  and  so  make  relative 
gains  in  population  throughout  the  larger 
part  of  the  province.  For  instance  :  A 
Scotch  regiment  was  disbanded  near  Que- 
bec, after  the  war  of  1812.  The  men,  most 
of  whotTi  remained  in  the  province,  married 
gener'ally  French  women,  for  other's  were 
ra'-e.  Their  children  were  French  in  lan- 
guage, tastes  and  sympathies  ;  their  scru- 
pulous mother's  under  priestly  intUience 
had  them  christened  and  confirmed  as  mem- 
ber's of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  and  so 
the  distinctive  Scotch  and  Protestant  element 
totally  disappear'cd — except  in  name.  This 
explains  why  it  is  that  many  French  Cana- 
dians have  English,  Scotch,  Irish  ami  Ger- 
man names.  Intermarriage  between  French 
Catholics  and  others  is  discountenanced,  but 
when  it  occurs  every  effort  is  put  forth  to 
keep  the  offspring  French  and  Catholic. 


TUE   HOME    MISSION    MONTULi. 


rol  not  only  Can- 
Ulaml  iilsii.  And 
>r  worse,  aiH onl- 
H'  (jlK'lilC  I-t'ijis- 
actually  vottd  a 
ts  of  tlu'  ptililic 
liiitcin  cl'ililnn. 
UCl'llHIlt     to    the 

or  a   reward   ot 

tear.     OKI  haclic- 

l)elow  par  in  llit* 

130  years  there 

from    France   to 

French  Canmlian 

ion  to  tlie  L'niled 

.   an    increase  ot 

)oj)nlation  of  tiie 

ars  prior  to  1891, 

3f  Larciy  one  i)er 

nic  period.     Tlie 

ccordiniuf    to    the 

,  of  whom  1,291,- 

The  total  popu- 

ahoiit    live  mil- 

the  dectd      was 

•ere  added  to  the 

m  ;  6,118    to   the 

he  Presbyterians; 

;r  denominations 

,  some  a  loss.     Is 

thily  said  :  "  The 

■  the  English  race 

im,  is  aveny;ed  by 

Montcalm." 

Iso  absorb  people 
so  make  relative 
i}.;;hoiit  the  larger 
"or  instance  ;  A 
)anded  near  Qne- 
Thc  men,  most 
[province,  married 
,  for  others  were 
•c  French  in  lan- 
diies  ;  their  scrii- 
priestly  influence 
onfirmed  as  niem- 
lic  Church  and  so 
Protestant  element 
)t  in  name.  This 
any  French  Cana- 
;ch,  Irish  and  Ger- 
[je  between  French 
countenanced,  but 
fort  is  put  forth  to 
I  and  Catholic. 


This  proce.ss  of  al)sorption  is  slill  K«)intr 
on.  Hi'tiee,  there  is  nearly  complete  soli- 
darity of  the  Frentli  element  in  many  |)laces. 
The  tew  ICn).(lish  people  in  s.icli  a  com- 
munity, tiu'ling  their  surroinidings  uncon- 
genial, unwillinij  lobrini;  up  their  families  in 
lliese  communities  >vhere  only  French  is 
spoken  and  where  they  have  no  religious 
uni  educational  ail  vantages,  still  out  to  a 
French  purchaser.  Lands  that  for  more 
than  ii  century  were  lield  in  free  linglish 
tenure  are  now  t'lled  by  French  Canadian 
farmers  who  jjay  their  tithes  tt)  the  Church  of 
Rome.  Inasmuch,  therefore,  as  Quebec 
seems  secure  for  Rome,  the  ecclesiastic.-*  are 
not  so  averse  as  formerly  to  Canadian  emi- 
gration to  New  Englanil  where  the  church 
may  acquire  power  without  jeopardizing  her 
interests  in  Canada. 

New  France. 

Elsewhere  I  have  spoken  of  the  vision  of 
"New  France"  that  floated  before  the 
French  colonists  two  huiulred  and  fifty 
years  ago.  The  dream  is  not  yet  ilispelled. 
Systematic  and  strenuous  efVorts  are  made 
to  keep  French  Can  idians  compact,  in  their 
language,  their  nationality,  their  religio.i. 
After  a  century  and  a  quarter  of  British  rule 
there  are  jjopulous  regions  where  the  Eng- 
lish language  is  never  spoken.  What  a  mis- 
lake  that  Engkunl  did  not,  at  first,  require 
iiiMiuction  in  English  throughout  tlie  Do- 
minion !  There  is  a  lesson  here  ic  ■  the 
people  of  the  United  States.  The  numerous 
organizations  known  as  The  St.  iean  Ba;j- 
tiste  Societies,  have  as  their  object  the  unifi- 
cation and  consolidation  of  the  French 
speaking  people  in  America.  Tlie  open 
avowal  is  made  that  "New  France's  nussion 
ot  civilization  should  advance  as  of  old  by 
an  alliance  for  mutual  iirotection  between 
religion  and  the  State."  Men  intensely  in 
earnest  are  working  in  this  direction. 
CatiMitlaii  Loyalty. 

How  dc'js  all  this  affect  the  loyalty  of 
French  Canadian  Catholics  to  Great  Britain  ? 
Ex-Premier  Mercier,  in  fulsome  terms  on 
public  occasions  has  proclaimed  the  fervent 
loyalty  of  Her  Majesty':  1  French  Canadian 
subjects.  But  they  have  denounced  him  as 
a  fawning  sycophant.  The  truth  is,  that  in 
the  depths  of  his  soul  the  French  Canadian 
does  not  love  the  English,  because  they  are 
English  and  Protestants.  With  traditional 
politeness  he  may  say  to  England:  "My 
lather,"  biding  the   moment  when  he  can 


thrust  the  tla),'ger  under  the  filth  rtl>,  and 
take  iio-^session  ot  what  he-  wants.  The  loy- 
alty of  French  Catiiidiaii  Catholics  is  about 
in  this  order:  First,  to  the  Church  ;  second, 
to  their  own  nationality  for  the  sake  of  the 
Church  ;  third,  to  the  Dominion  as  a  valua- 
ble piece  of  civil  mechanism  for  the  Church  ; 
fourth,  to  Great  Britain  itself  for  thi'  shadowy 
memory  of  past  favors  and  for  protection  in 
the  enjoyment  thereof. 

A  gentleman  of  Quebec  who  has  especial 
opportunities  of  knowing  whereof  he  af- 
firms, says  :  "The  fact  is,  here  the  battle  is 
lost  politically.  Quebec  is  no  longer  British 
but  ultramontime  French." 

Pure,  deep,  disinterested  patriotism  for 
Great  Britain  is  a  rare  article  in  the  breast  of 
a  French  Canadian  Catholic.  I  know  these 
are  strong  assertions,  but  those  who  under- 
stand the  inside  of  things  will  affirm  their 
truthfulness.  Love  for  the  French  tri-color 
immeasurably  surpasses  that  fi-r  the  British 
flag.  In  the  "Labor  Day"  decorations  of 
Quebec,  1  saw  from  Uiree  to  five  French 
flags  for  every  British  banner  flung  to  the 
breeze.  The  most  influential  Englishman 
in  the  intensely  French  city  of  Sorel  told 
me  that  on  a  recent  Dominion  holiday  the 
French  flag  was  universally  displayed  and 
that  it  required  a  resolute  effort  on  his  unrt 
to  prevent  it  being  hoisted  on  the  (.uurt 
house  and  post  of'ice,  instead  of  t'le  British 
flag.  Have  these  tilings  no  significance  ? 
And  have  all  these  things  no  lessons  for 
Protestants  in  the  United  States,  who  are  so 
often  bewitched  and  befooled  by  the  olea- 
ginous utterances  of  professedly  liberal 
Roman  Catholic  dignitaries? 

A  FoSHllized  ClvilizHtion. 

Naturally  enoug!  ,  a  people  thus  hemmed 
in,  corralled  by  the  clergy,  breeding  in- 
and-in,  with  little  cross  fertilization,  have 
become  exceedingly  narrow  and  conserva- 
tive. Careful  observers  have  remarked  that 
"Quebec  is  thoroughly  French — not  modern 
French,  but  French  of  the  17th  century.  The 
Frenchman  remains  essentially  an  old- world 
l)roduct."  Centuries  of  life  in  America, 
tliOugh  modifying  his  manners  and  condi- 
dons,  have  not  essentially  changed  the  old 
Normandy  French  type.  He  doesn't  take 
eai?ily  to  new-fangled  notions  in  agriculture, 
business  or  reHgion.  It  was  only  through 
tremendous  effort  that  Mr.  Ayer,  of  Mon- 
treal, indaced  the  farmers  in  the  splendid 
pastoral  regions  below,  to  turn  their  atten- 


TUE   HOME   MISSION    MONTH  LI. 


tion  to  butter  .•uul  cheese  inakinjj  iiistcnd  of 
goiny  on  in  the  sim|>Ie  manner  of  old.  The 
priests  fhemselvts  foiipht  tliis  innovation 
because  they  hared  that  their  tithes  from 
grain  would  i)C  iesseneil  with  tl)e  develop- 
ment  of  this  industry,  though  now  tliey  ap- 
prove, l)ecause  tlie  people  have  more  ready 
money  than  formerly. 

The  attempt  of  an  order  of  monks  to  es- 
tabiisii  a  model  agricultural  colony  with  im- 
proved mediods,  as  well  as  similar  eiforls 
on  the  part  of  tlie  government,  have  met 
with  little  success. 

Hence,  too,  in  great  business  enterprises 
the  Englishman  outstrips  his  French  neigh- 
bor. True,  by  the  withdrawal  from  the  city 
of  Quebec  of  some  English  establishments, 
their  business  has  fallen  into  French  iiands. 

The  people,  compelled  to  work  hard  for 
a  bare  livelihood,  to  be  frugal,  and  trained 
by  the  church  in  the  spirit  of  obedience, 
usually  make  good  and  contented  em- 
ployees. 

Among  them,  however,  are  not  a  few 
men  of  marked  ability  in  all  the  professions. 
Indeed,  I  heard  from  Englishmen  the  re- 
mark that  the  ablest  i7ian  in  Canada  to-day 
is  a  Frenchman.  There  are  colleges  and 
universities,  as  Laval  University,  well 
equipped  and  with  learneil  faculties.  Girls 
of  the  best  families  attend  the  convent 
schools  in  large  numbers.  Among  the 
French  Protestants  are  men  of  culture  and 
power. 

Politieal  Corruption. 

Political  virtue  and  veracity  are  not  shin- 
ing characteristics  of  the  average  French 
Canadian.  That  many  good  men  and  true 
are  found,  no  one  will  deny.  But  the  extent 
to  which  constitutional  obliquity  of  state- 
merit  rrevails  is  freely  commented  upon  in 
the  Dominion.  And  as  to  politics,  these  are 
tbe  wo/ds  of  a  careful  writer  in  MacMillan's 
Magazine  for  May,  1893:  "Every  one  you 
meet,  without  exception.will  say  that  elecdons 
can  be  safely  carried  in  no  other  way  than 
by  bribery.  No  veil  that  any  Englishman 
could  weave  would  cover  the  corruption  of 
a  Canadian  election  in  1892.  To  measure 
the  country's  morality  by  its  politics  would 
be  monstrous."  Sagacious  observers  affirm 
that  if  French  Canada  were  to  be  annexed  to 
the  United  States,  and  the  people  natural- 
ized in  a  lump,  it  would  demoralize  Ameri- 
can politics — which  is  saymg  a  great  deal. 


Hiipwnttltloii*. 

The  people  generally  are  very  religious, 
acconling  to  their  conceptions  of  religion. 
French  infidelity  has  filtered  iiitt)  Canada 
but  little.  Even  the  bloated  and  blear  eyed 
passenger  near  you  on  the  cars,  mumbles 
his  prayers  to  the  virgin,  at  the  ap|)ointed 
hour.  Superstition  and  veneration  of  sacred 
things  are  almost  unbounded.  Sacred 
charms  are  bought  and  worn  to  avert 
sickness,  adversity  and  all  manner  of  mis- 
fortune, including  perils  to  the  faith  frou) 
contact  with  IVotestants  in  the  Unitfd States. 
Perhaps  the  Church  of  St.  Anne  de  Heau- 
pre,  seventeen  miles  below  Qnebec,  is  the 
great  centre  of  credulity  ami  superstition. 
At  the  Ursuline  convent  in  Quebec  they 
claim  to  have  a  piece  of  the  holy  cross  and 
a  thorn  from  the  crown  which  in  mockery 
was  put  ui)on  the  head  of  Jesus  I  Hut  here 
is  the  wonder-working  relic  of  all — a  piece, 
or  pieces  of  a  bone  of  St.  Anne,  the  reputed 
mother  of  the  Virgin  Mary.  Long  ago,  at 
Auray  in  Brittany,  France,  the  marvelous 
virtues  of  her  bones  were  discovered.  Here 
at  Beaupre,  a  little  village,  the  church  was 
endowei'  with  a  piece  of  the  saint's  finger  in 
1668  ;  another  relic  being  adeled  about  forty 
years  ago ;  another  piece  of  bone  about 
four  years  ago,  and  yet  other  relics,  one  of 
which  enclosed  in  glass  which  the  devout 
worshippers  are  continually  kissing  is  de- 
scribed as  a  piece  of  stone  from  the  cham- 
ber in  which  the  Virgin  Mary  was  born. 
Thousands  visit  this  shrine  of  St.  Anne. 
The  papers  stated  that  3,500  went  therefrom 
Quebec  the  Sunday  before  my  arrival.  Two 
or  three  times  this  number  is  not  uncommon. 

CaHtuwajr  CrutcheM. 

As  we  enter  the  large  church,  on  either 
side  are  eleven  tiers  of  canes,  crutches,  etc., 
the  lower  tier  within  a  ring  about  four  feet 
in  diameter,  the  upper  tier  about  two  feet  in 
diameter,  die  height  of  all  about  forty  feet. 
Here  are  about  a  thousand  discarded  appli- 
ances for  the  lame  and  the  infirm  who  were 
healed,  as  they  tell  us,  by  this  bone  of  St. 
Anne.  We  look  for  this  bone.  Here  it  is, 
within  the  altar  rail,  under  a  gilt,  gothic 
canopy,  beneath  which  and  rising  from  the 
base  is  a  gilded  forearm  with  upstretched 
hand,  and  in  a  rectangular  aperture  in  the 
wrist,  enclosed  on  both  sides  with  glass,  is 
suspended  this  little  piece  of  the  wonderful 
bone— dead  bone  which  is  supposed  to  pos- 
sess life-giving  power  ! 


PL'  very  rolitjioiiH, 

)ti<)iis  of  relii,'ioii. 

red    into  Canada 

.•(1  and  l)lcar  t-yed 

i-  cars,  muniML's 

at  tilt'  appointeil 

ncrationof  sacred 

Diindcd.       Sacicil 

worn    to    avert 

manner  of  mia* 

to  tlu-  taitli  from 

the  Unitrd  States. 

Anne  de  Heau- 

i\v  (2uel)ec,  is  the 

iind  superstition. 

in   Quebec   they 

lie  iioly  cross  and 

I'iu'ch   in  mockery 

Jesus !     lUit  iiere 

ic  of  all — a  piece, 

Anne,  the  reputed 

ry.      Loni^  ajLjo,  at 

:e,  tlie  marvelous 

discovered.    Here 

:•,  the  church  was 

he  saint's  fintjcr  in 

added  ahout  forty 

e   of   hone   about 

ther  relics,  one  of 

which   the  devout 

illy  kissini^   is  de- 

c  from  the  chani- 

Mary   was  l)orn. 

fine   of   St.    Anne. 

00  went  therefrom 
;  my  arrival.    Two 

is  not  uncommon. 

oIieM. 

church,  on  either 
nes,  crutches,  etc., 
ig  about  four  feet 
r  about  two  feet  in 

1  about  forty  feet, 
id  discarded  appli- 
e  infirm  who  were 
y  this  bone  of  St. 

bone.  Here  it  is, 
der  a  gilt,  gothic 
id  rising  from  tiie 
I  with  upstretched 
ar  aperture  in  the 
sides  with  glass,  is 
;  of  the  wonderful 
s  supposed  to  pos- 


THE    HOME    MrssrON    MONTHLY. 


Wonlilp  otnt.  Ann*. 

As   we  po  out  and   pa.«s  around   to  the 
north  side  of  the  church  we  observe  in  the 
walls   six   large  stone  panels  with  <IitTerent 
incriptions  in  French.     Translated  they  are 
as  follows:    "St.  Aruie,   Patron  of  Canada, 
pray  for  us.     St.  Anm-,   Refuge  of  sinners, 
|)ray   for   us.     St.    Anne,   Comforter  of  the 
aflllicted,  |»ray  for  us.     St.  Anne,  Healer  of 
iliseases,  pray  for  us.      St.  Anne,  I'rofector 
of  sailors,  pray  tor  us.     St.  Anne,  Succorer 
of  the  distressed,  pray  for  us. '    Thus  these 
people  adore  St.  Anne  as  they  do  the  Virgin 
•Mary.      The  streets  of  the  towp.   are  lineil 
with  stores  and  hucksters  of  lioly  articles 
for  the  faithful.     Hut  the  climax  of  all,  per- 
haps,  is  the  chapel  of  the  Sia/a  Santa,  or 
the  holy  stairs.    These   stairs   are  in  exact 
imitation  of  the  Scaia  San/a  near  the  basil- 
ica of  St.  John  in  the  Lateral),  up  which  we 
have  seen  the  faithful  going  on  their  knees 
and  kissing  the  stejis  as  they  go  ;  up  which 
Luther  was  going  when  he  heard,  as  if  from 
heaven,  t!ie  words:  "  The  just  shall  live  by 
faith,"  then  and  there  leaving  it  and  Rome 
forever.      Hut  now,  after  nearly  four  hun- 
dred years,  a  reproduction  of  Pilate's  stair- 
case,  or  the  Scala  Santa,  reappears  at  the 
chapel  of  St.  Anne  de  Heaupre,  on  Ameri- 
can soil  ! 

statue  of  the  Virgin  Mnry. 

That  these  things  should  be  denotes  a 
benighted  spiritual  condition  of  the  French 
Canadian  population  in  the  Romish  Church 
that  seems  almost  incredible.  As  further 
indicating  how  i)erverted  is  their  faith  and 
the  strength  of  their  devotion  to  the  Virgin 
Mary,  as  well  as  to  St.  Anne,  two  instances 
may  be  cited.  On  a  spur  of  majestic  "Trin- 
ity Peak,"  about  750  feet  above  the  Sagne- 
nay  River,  is  a  colossal  statue,  thirty-two 
feet  high,  of  the  Virgin  Mary.  There,  in 
that  uninhabited  region,  against  its  dark 
background,  stands  this  figure  in  white.  It 
was  the  gift  of  a  wealthy  Roman  Catholic  in 
honor  of  the  Virgin,  who  had  graciously  in- 
terposed to  save  him  from  calamities.  Only 
a  few  years  ago  leading  Roman  Catholics  of 
Montreal  were  ready  to  erect  a  great  image  of 
the  Virgin  on  the  most  conspicuous  point  of 
Mount  Royal,  the  city's  pride,  and  were  pre- 
vented only  by  the  determined  opposition 
of  the  Protestant  element  in  the  city. 

The  French  Canadian  at  home  is  the 
handiwork  of  Rome;  the  tool  of  Rome. 

H.  L.  M. 


Roman  Catholicism  In  Canada. 

If  you  want  to  know  Roman  Catholicism 
in  America,  go  to  Canatla  or  Mexico.  In 
Canada  it  was  originally  trans|)laiitid  Kuro- 
pean  stock.  In  Mexico  it  was  iiigrattetl. 
Hitter  fruit  has  it  borne  in  both  countries 
It  has  kept  the  French  Canadian  down  ;  it 
has  tailed  to  lift  the  M«xican  up.  Whether 
on  civilized  or  semi-civilized,  its  intluence 
has  been  to  repress,  suppress  and  oppress. 
In  these  l.inds,  for  a  long  period,  it  had  al- 
most its  own  way  and  ap|)e;irs  in  its  true 
character.  In  the  United  States,  Protestant- 
ism has  compelled  it  to  bi:  on  its  gooil  be- 
havior. To  understaiul  what  we  have  to 
cope  with  among  the  French  in  New  Eng- 
land, and  what  problems  are  to  be  solved  in 
their  <  angelization,  we  need  to  know  some- 
thing ■  I  Canadian  Romanism,  whose  influ- 
ence, Ike  (;  very  atmosphere,  has  envel- 
oped *'  rem  their  birth. 


II. .W    J 


It  Got  Entreiiohed  In  Caiiniln. 


When  Jacques  Cartier  landed  atTadous.ic, 
at  the  junction  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and  the. 
Saguenay,  in  1534,  he  planted  a  cross  to 
which  was  attached  a  shield  bearing  the 
French  royal  coat-of-arms.  It  was  for  Rome 
first,  and  for  France  for  the  sake  of  Rome. 
A  small  church,  over  two  hundred  years 
old — the  second  oldest  in  America — stands 
on  the  site  of  the  original  house  that  was 
destroyed  by  fire.  The  most  prized  articles 
within  it  appear  to  be  in  a  small  glass  case 
near  the  altar.  The  conspicuous  thing 
therein  is  a  doll  about  a  foot  long,  pre- 
sented, in  1747,  by  the  King  of  France,  and 
described  as,  "Tlie  infant  Jesus  1"  This  I 
beheld. 

Cartier's  colony,  however,  accomplished 
but  little  for  Church  or  State.  He  also  dis- 
covered and  named  Quebec  and  (Mount 
Royal)  Montreal.  After  him  came  Robcrval, 
whose  expedition  closed  disastrously.  From 
1541,  the  date  of  Cartier's  last  voyage,  until 
Champlain  came  in  1608,  there  was  no  sem- 
blance of  a  settlement  in  Canada.  Under 
Champlain,  with  the  powerful  co-operation 
of  Cardinal  Richelieu,  the  greatest  statesman 
of  France  in  the  seventeenth  century,  the 
founding  of  "  New  France"  was  undertaken. 
All  colonists  were  to  be  Frenchmen  and 
Roman  Catholics.  After  the  death  of  Cham- 
plain, in  1635,  came  the  Jesuit,  La  Salle, 
whose  explorations  extended  far  into  the 
west,    and    who    established    missions     at 


I 


T II  K    11  O  M  K    M  I S  S  I  O  A    M  O  \  T II  L  Y. 


!    ! 


CI 


HiniUvit'  pointH  aloiifr  tlic  Si.  L-iwrcncf,  tin- 
\itvi\\  lakcH  aiul  (he  Missisnippi.  Kmnc 
Hct'imd  to  have  pre  ■tiupfrd  tlu- liind.  (jiu- 
liic  was  wu'sktl  Irom  France  liy  Kiij^Haiid 
it)  1629;  nslond  hy  triMty  in  1632;  tin' 
I  ninplc'lc  ami  tiiial  coiupirst  of  Canada  \>\ 
I!ny;laiiil  takinj;  placf  in  1760,  on  the  Plains 
tit  Aiiraiiani.  The  tornial  ttssion  was  \>\ 
tlic  Treaty  of  Paris,  in  1763.  Tlie  French  liad 
tli<'  lead  in  Canada  ahont  226  years  prior  to 
1760,  lliou)L;h  their  actual  occupation  was 
only  about  128  year?. 

An  Iin|iorlHiit  K|iim  li. 

Till'  Treaty  ot  I'aris  marks  an  important 
ejKicli  in  the  history  of  the  Koman  Catholic 
Church  in  Canaila.  Prior  to  that  the  church 
hud  enjoyed  all  the  immunities,  priviie^^es 
and  powers  of  the  church  in  France.  The 
hierarchy  were  quick  to  secure  these  thinifs 
to  till'  church  under  its  new  Protestant  mas- 
It  r.  By  till  27th  article  of  capitul.ition, 
in  I75(),  (Ireat  Hritai  (.-nuited  the  free  ex- 
ercise ot  the  Romish  reli),non  ;  the  obli^^'a- 
tion  of  payinfj  tithes  to  the  priest  to  depend 
ujiou  the  pii-asure  of  the  kinp,  who  never 
interfered  in  the  matter.  A  representative 
ol  the  church  was  sent  to  London  to  see 
that  l>y  the  Treaty  of  Paris  this  stipulation 
should  he  confirmed.  Success  attended  the 
elf'ort. 

But  this  was  not  enouj^di.  In  1773  echoes 
of  the  nnitterings  of  discontent  in  the  lower 
colonies  were  heard  in  Canada,  and  not 
knowing  whereunto  this  thing  would  grow, 
api)reliensive  also  of  future  trouble  from 
the  thriving  Protestant  colonii's,  the  hier- 
archy muile  assurance  doubly  sure  by  get- 
ling  through  the  British  Parliament,  in  1774, 
"  The  Quebec  .Act,"  whereby  the  old  French 
laws,  including  the  custom  of  Paris,  the 
royal  edicts  and  those  of  the  colonial  in- 
tentlants  under  the  French  regime  were  de- 
clared binding  in  relation  to  all  property  and 
civil  rights,  though  the  criminal  law  was 
superseded  by  that  of  Englanil  with  its  trial 
by  jury.  The  Seignories,  wilii  their  feudal 
rights  and  immunities  were  also  perpet- 
uated. Thus  Rome  got  entrenched  behind 
unassailable  civil  bulwarks  in  the  Province 
of  Quebec.  King  George  and  his  advisers, 
seeing  the  storm  that  was  brewing  in  the 
American  colonies,  evidently  deemed  it 
good  policy  to  strengthen  England's  hold 
on  her  Canadian  possessions  by  securing 
the  interested  support  of  the  dominant  and 


dominating  powerH  of  the  Komi^h  Cliurcli. 
Bell,  the  historian,  nayH  :  "The  BritiHJi  gov- 
eminent  deferred  until  1774  yiilding  the 
points  at  issue,  and  it  may  be  said  that  the 
revolulion  which  sa\t'<l  the  frccilom  of  tlie 
United  Slates,  ol)ligeil  (Ireat  Britain  to  leave 
to  the  Canadians  their  institutions  and  l.tws 
in  order  to  be  able  to  retain  at  least  one 
province  in  the  New  World." 

rnwem  hikI  llixioiirctiN  of  tli«  (^Inircli. 

In   1759  there  were  crown  grants  of  land 
to  die  Protestant  and  thi:  Catholic  churclu's. 
Eventually    the    Protestant    churches     sur- 
rentlered  most  of  their  holdings  for  a  motl- 
erate  money  consideration.     Not  so  Rome, 
who  h;is  the  habit  of  holding  on  to  all  it  can 
get.     The  original  grant  ot  2,117,000  acris 
in  1759  '''"*  since  been  incri-ased,  and  from 
the  rentals  of  ii  |>ortion  of  this  it  is  eslimaied 
that  the  church   receives  $300,000  annually. 
Originally   the  church   receiveil,   as   tithes, 
every  thirteenth  bushel  of  grain  harvested 
by  its  members.      But  about  twenty  years 
ago  this  was  reduced  to  one  bushel  in  twen- 
ty-six.    The  collection  of  this  is  enforceable 
by  law,  though  it  is  rarely  doiu',  the  people 
having  been  disciplined  thoroughly  in  the 
matter.      From   this  source   an    estimated 
revenue  ot  $700,000  annually    is   received, 
the  most  of  which  goes  for  salaries  of  local 
priests.     The  Bislio|»  now  has  power  to  de- 
termine the  location,  character  and  cost  ot 
church  I'dilices,  and  to  assess  the  expense 
thereof  upon  the  real  estate  of  the  parish- 
ioners, the  assessment  becoming  a  lien  like 
a    mortgage,    enforceable    by    law.       This 
power  is  used  mercilessly  by  bishops  and 
priests   ambitious    to    have   fine   houses  of 
worship.       The    splendid    stone   structure, 
highly  decorated  within,  towering  above  the 
small,  cheap,  insignificant  houses  and  stores 
of  the  ortlinary  Canadian  village,  and  which 
is  worth  all  of  them  put  together,  is  a  strik- 
ing comment  upon  tiie  use  of  this  power  by 
the   Romish   hierarchy.      For  the  erection 
and  maintenance  of  church  edifices  al)Out 
$2,000,000  arc  obtained  annually.    Gifts  and 
legacies— prelates  are  on  the  alert    for  the 
latter— $3,000,000  ;  fees  for  masses,  funerals, 
etc.,  $2,000,000,  making  the  annual  revenues 
of  the  Romish  Church  in  Canada  $8,000,000. 
The   property   holdings    of    the    Cliurch, 
aside  from   lands  already    mentioned,  are 
valued  at  $61,210,000,  consisting  chiefly  of 
900  church  edifices,  900  i>arsonagcP,  12  scm- 


ic  KoiiiiHli  Churc'l). 

"Tlu'  UriliHli  )4o\  - 

1774  \i«l(lmj;  tlif 
.  Ill'  s;iiil  that  tiic 
lif   ti<i  (loin  of  tilt' 

It  liritaiii  to  Iciivi' 
iiliitioiis  atid  laws 

lain  at    least  one 


or  tli«  riinrnli. 

wii   t.,'i'aiitsi  ol  land 
Calliolii-  clmrclifs. 
It    cliiirclK'S    sur- 
l(liiit;s  lor  a  inoil- 
I.     Not  bo  Rome, 
ini;  on  to  all  it  can 
ol  2,1 17,000  iicrts 
criastil,  aiul  troin 
tills  it  is  estimated 
$300,000  annually. 
L'ci'ived,    as    liliu'S, 
ol  },Nain  li.irvfstt'd 
liout  twenty  years 
)iu'  biisliol  in  twcn- 
tliis  is  entorceahit' 
y  done,  the  people 
tlioroii^rhly  in  tin.' 
Mce   an    estimated 
nually    is   received, 
or  salaries  of  local 
V  has  power  tu  <le- 
iracter  and  cost  of 
issess  the  expense 
tate  of  the  parish- 
jcominj^  a  lien  like 
le    by    law.       This 
>ly  by  bisho|)S  and 
\'e   fine   houses  of 
J    stone  structure, 
towcrinf,--  above  the 
t  houses  and  stores 
village,  and  which 
oirether,  is  a  strik- 
se  of  this  power  by 
For  the  erection 
rch  edifices  about 
nnually.    Gifts  and 
1  the  alert   for  the 
r  masses,  funerals, 
le  annual  revenues 
Canada  $8,000,000. 
s   of    the    riuirch, 
ly    mentioned,  are 
nsistin;,'^  chiefly  of 
larsonagcp,  12  sem- 


THH   home   MJHiSlON    MONTULY. 


9 


JnaricM,  17  claMical  coIIckci",  359  Imardinn 
Hclioojfi  and  ar.idemies,  68  hospit.ds.  riHy- 
lutiiB,  orphaiiai^C!*.  etc.  IndeeJ,  a  recent 
writer  in  the  Forum  exthnatcH  the  income  of 
tlie  church  at  $12,000000  and  valu.itiotJ  of 
church  pro|)erty  $120,000,000. 

Tln.'so  are  large  figures  for  a  ct)mpara- 
tively  «mall  populnlion.  Kome's  stronghold 
is  the  I'rovince  ol  (^utbec,  in  which  »he 
claims  nbout  1,200,000  out  of  a  population 
of  about  1,400,000.  Alioiit  70  per  cent,  of 
liie  Koman  Catholic  population  of  the  Do- 
minion is  in  Lower  C.-m.-ida,  where  they  are 
iie.irly  «5  per  cent,  of  the  entirj-  popul.ilion. 
'i'hose  who  do  not  avow  themselves  ;is  I'ro- 
tcst.uits  must  help  foot  many  of  thi-  bills  of 
the  Romish  Ciuirch. 

A  Money. ItlakliiK  M<>rlinnl«m. 

Tlie  Rom.in  Catholic  Ciiurch  is  a  great 
money-making  mechanism,  grinding  its 
enormous  annual  grist  out  of  a  comp.ira- 
tively  poor  people  under  the  pressure  of 
civil  and  ecclesiastical  penalties.  "  Notinng 
but  money  and  all  for  money— that  is  its 
m;txim,".says  Doiitre,  of  Romish  clericalism. 
Celibate  "lathers"  dwell  in  spacious  and 
eligant  resi<lences.  while  the  family  of 
twelve  or  lif  teen  in  tiie  parish  is  somehow 
stowed  away  in  a  small  one-story  house, 
with  three  rooms  and  the  garret. 

In  politics,  also,  the  priesthood  is  potent 
and  active,  iiKiking  and  dei)osing  men  at 
their  pleasure,  having  three-fourths  of  the 
members  in  the  legislature  of  (Quebec  ;  even 
intimid.itiiig  and  swaying  oflicers  of  the  law 
and  courts  of  justice.  As  early  as  1768,  the 
French-Canadians,  under  lead  of  the  clergy, 
distrustful  of  some  sinister  design  against 
their  reh'gion.  formed  a  party  of  their  race 
and  language  distinct  from  the  British,  and 
to  tiiis  hour  every  French-Canadian  politi- 
cian endeavors  to  bid  higher  than  his  oppo- 
nent lor  the  su|)port  of  tin;  clergy. 

N'erily  Rom.uiism  is  the  Colossus  of  Can- 
ada. She  is  also  wary  and  watchltil  for 
lier  French  children  who  have  emigrated 
to  the  States,  so  that  her  strong  hand  is 
busy  in  New  Knglrind  affairs  as  well ;  tor 
with  the  l>rotest;uit  people  and  institutions  of 
the  United  States  she  has  no  real  sympathy. 

Here  it  will  be  i)ertinent  to  give 

An  Interesting  Jilt  of  UUtory 

that  is  iiot  generally  known.     Why  did  Can- 
ada refuse  to  make  common  cause  with  the 


other  American  colonies  in  achieving  itulo- 
|)endeiice  of  Hritish  rule  ?  It  would  natur» 
ally  be  supposed  th.it  the  antagonistic 
Frencli  spirit,  still  smarting  over  recent  de- 
feat, would  have  been  rea<ly  to  avail  itself 
of  this  opi»ortunity  to  combine  forces  and 
break  tiie  Hritish  yoke.  Now  for  the  an- 
swer. 

The  action  ol  Parliament  in  1774,  confer- 
ring upon  the  Romish  Church  in  Canada 
extraordinary  privileges,  .istonished  Protest- 
ants in  the  other  colonies.  At  a  meeting  of 
men  of  Massachusetlf*  in  SuHolk,  September 
6th,  1774,  this  feeling  found  exprt  S8it)n  in 
the  bill  of  grievances  against  Mritish  rule  in 
the  following  terms  : 

"loth.  That  the  late  act  of  Parliament 
for  establishing  the  Roman  Catholic  religion 
anil  the  French  laws  in  that  extensive  coun- 
try now  called  Quebec,  is  dangerous  m  an 
extreme  ilegree  to  the  Prfitestant  religion 
and  to  the  civil  rights  and  liberties  of  all 
America  ;  and,  therefore,  as  men  and  Pro- 
testant Christians  \\v  are  indispensably 
obliged  to  take  all  |)roper  measures  for  our 
security,"  This  bill  of  grievance  was  sent 
to  Congress,  which,  on  S(;ptember  17th,  re- 
ceiveil  it  and  ordered  it  published  in  the 
newspajiers.  The  preamble  to  certain  reso- 
lutions introduced  October  14th,  character- 
ized the  Quelu'c  act  as  "impolitic,  unjust, 
unconstitutional  and  destructive  of  Ameri- 
can rights,"  and  deriandeil  its  repeal  in  the 
name  "of  the  lu-ighboring  british  colonies, 
by  the  assistance  of  whose  blood  and  treas- 
tire  the  said  country  was  conquered  from 
France."  The  addn^ss  of  the  Cf)lonial  Con- 
gress, October  2!  st,  1774,  to  the  people  of 
the  colonies,  contained  the  following  :  "  In 
the  session  of  Parliami'iit  last  mentioned, 
an  act  was  passt'd,  clniiging  thegovenimeiit 
of  Quebec,  by  which  act  the  Roman  Catholic 
religion  instead  of  being  tolerated,  as  stipii- 
lat(.'(l  by  tiu'  treaty  of  jiejici',  is  established  ; 
and  the  i)eople  there  are  deprived  of  the 
right  to  an  assembly,  tri.'ils  l)y  jury,  ami  the 
Knglish  laws  in  civil  cases  are  abolished  and 
instead  thereof  the  French  laws  are  estab- 
lished in  direct  violation  of  his  Majesty's 
promise  by  his  roy;d  ]iroc!  mation,  under 
the  faith  of  which  many  English  subjects 
settled  in  that  province  ;  and  the  limits  of 
that  province  are  extended  so  as  to  compre- 
hend those  vast  regions  that  lie  adjoining  to 
the  northerly  and  westerly  portions  of  these 
colonies."     This  went  out  over  Ainerica. 


10 


THE   HOME   MISSION   MONTHLY. 


Similar  sentiments  were  expressed  in  the 
address  "to  tlie  people  of  Great  Britain": 
"  The  Dominion  of  Canada  is  to  be  so  ex- 
tended, modelled  and  governed  as  that  by 
being  disunited  from  us,  detached  from  our 
interests  by  civil  as  well  as  by  religious  pre- 
judices, that  by  their  numbers  daily  swelling 
with  Catholic  emigrants  from  Europe,  so 
friendly  to  their  religion,  they  might  become 
formidable  to  us,"  etc. 

Five  days  later  Congress  adopied  an  ad- 
dress to  the  oeople  of  Canada,  to  join  the 
ether  colonies  in  their  resistance  to  the  un- 
just acts  of  Great  Britain,  N^'liich  acts  were 
recited,  with  the  exception  of  this  one  relat- 
ing to  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  in  Can- 
ada. It  was  a  kind,  persuasive,  powerful 
docun^ent,  in  which  it  referred  to  the 
Swiss  Cantons  as  showing  "how  Protes- 
tants and  Catholics  may  live  in  concord  and 
peace." 

As  tlie  contest  waxed  hotter  between  the 
colonies  and  the  mother  country.  Congress, 
on  May  29th,  1775,  prepared  a  special  letter 
"to  the  oppressed  inhabitants  of  Canada," to 
"unite  in  the  defence  of  our  common  liber- 
ties." This  was  widely  circulated  in  the  Do- 
minion together  with  Uieir  formal  action 
that  "no  expedition  or  incursion  should  be 
made  into  Canada." 

A  Keactloii. 

What  came  of  it?  We  shall  see.  The 
address  to  the  Canadians  was  favorably  re- 
ceived until  a  large  assembly  in  Montreal 
heard  a  translation  of  the  address  to  the 
people  of  Great  Britain  with  its  reference  to 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church  in  Canada,  when 
a  reaction  took  place  and  with  great  indigna- 
tion they  declared  they  would  reject  these 
overtures.  The  church  had  a  good  thing  in 
Canada  and  was  unwilling  to  come  into  the 
Union  on  fair  and  equal  terms  with  all 
others. 

Seeing  its  dilemma,  Congress  made  a  final 
and  supreme  effort  to  bring  Canada  into 
line,  by  the  appointment,  March  20th,  1776, 
of  a  special  delegation,  consisting  of  Benja- 
min Franklin,  who  was  popular  in  France, 
Samuel  Chase  and  Charles  Carroll,  of  Car- 
rollton.from  Maryland,  where  Catholics  pos- 
sessed all  desirable  privileges.  Nor  was  this 
all.  They  were  specially  directed  to  associate 
with  them  Rev.  John  Carroll,  a  Jesuit  priest 
of  Baltimore,  a  most  influential  man,  after- 
ward Archbishop  of  Baltimore,  whose  spe- 
cific work  was   to   win   over  the   Catholic 


clergy  of  the  province.  Their  letter  of  in- 
structions was  most  lil)eral  in  its  offers  to 
the  people  of  Canada,  with  special  reference 
to  the  rights  of  the  clergy  and  the  church. 
They  went,  taking  with  them  a  small  [irint- 
ing  press  and  a  printer  to  dissemina*c  infor- 
mation. Two  papers  only  were  issued,  for 
it  was  found  that  not  one  Canadian  in  a 
hundred  could  read,  Franklin,  on  his  re- 
tuni,  sagaciously  suggesting  that  if  another 
mission  was  sent,  it  should  be  a  school- 
master. 

The  illustrious  members  of  the  ilele- 
gation  met  with  a  decidedly  cool  recep- 
tion, were  squarely  told  by  the  clergy  diat 
the  address  to  the  people  of  Great  Britain 
had  given  great  offense,  and  that  they,  '  the 
Canadian  clergy,  were  not  disposed  to  re- 
ceive with  much  favor  the  declarations  of 
Congress  to  the  people  ot  Canada."  hi  ten 
days,  all  efforts  proving  futile,  the  delega- 
tion retraced  its  steps  and  the  French-Cana- 
dian clergy,  without  affection  for  Great 
Britain,  but  solely  liecause  of  the  advan- 
tages which  their  Church  had  obtained  and 
which  they  would  not  jeopardize  by  a  union 
with  die  other  colonies,  prevented  Canada 
from  becoming  a  i)art  of  the  Unitetl  States. 
This  was  the  pivotal  point  of  the  whole  mat- 
ter and  all  die  more  remarkable  as  we  re- 
member how  strong  was  the  sympathy  of 
France  herself  with  the  colonies  m  their 
struggle  for  independence. 

What  Did  it  Mean  ? 

Was  all  this  providential?  In  what  way  ? 
The  Roman  Catholic  may  so  interpret  it  in 
die  interests  of  his  church,  because  it  has 
given  the  church  almost  absolute  control  of 
a  people  who  have  been  consolidated  for 
Rome  as  tliey  could  not  have  been  under 
the  liberal  and  enlightened  institutions  of 
the  United  States.  How  shall  it  be  intcr- 
ureted  from  a  Protestant  point  of  view  ?  We 
know  what  almost  insuperable  difficulties 
were  encountered  by  the  framers  ot  the 
Constiti.tion  in  drafting  an  instrument  that 
should  meet  die  divergent  views  even  of  a 
substantially  homogeneous  people,  and  how 
near  to  the  brink  of  failure  they  came.  Who 
can  doubt  but  diat  if  Canada  had  come  into 
these  councils,  difficulties  woukl  have  been 
heightened,  die  sessions  ending  in  confusion 
and  chaos,  or  ir.  somediing  radically  differ- 
ent from  the  sublime  document  which  con- 
stitutes the  foundation  of  this  nation's  great- 
ness and  glory. 


,T. 


TEE    HOME    MTSSION    MONTHLY. 


11 


;c.  Their  letter  of  in- 
liberal  in  its  offers  to 
1,  with  special  reference 
:lergy  and  the  church, 
ith  them  a  small  i)rint- 
ter  to  disseminate  infor- 
;rs  only  were  issiud,  for 
lot  one  Canadian  in  a 
J,  Franklin,  on  his  re- 
L^gestin^  that  if  another 
it  should  be  a  school- 
members  of  the  ilelc- 
decidediy  cool  recep- 
told  by  tiie  cler^-y  diat 
people  of  Great  Britain 
;nse,  and  Uuit  they,  'the 
ere  not  disposed  to  re- 
vor  the  declarations  of 
pic  ot  Canada."  In  ten 
)ving  futile,  the  delega- 
ps  and  die  French-Cana- 
)ut  affection  for  Grea* 
because  of  the  advan- 
luirch  had  obtained  and 
lot  jeopardize  by  a  union 
onics,  prevented  Canada 
art  of  the  United  States. 
.1  point  of  the  whole  mat- 
e  remarkable  as  we  re- 
r  was  the  sympathy  of 
;h  the  colonies  in  their 
ndence. 
>lil  It  Meiiii  ? 

idenlial?     In  what  way  ? 
ic  may  so  interpret  it  in 
;  church,  because  it  has 
imost  absolute  control  of 
e  been  consolidated  for 
d  not  have  been   under 
lightened  mstitutions  of 
How  shall  it  be  inter- 
estant  point  of  view  ?    We 
it  insuperable  difficulties 
by   the   framers   ot   the 
ifting  an  instrument  that 
ivergent  views  even  ot  a 
)geneous  people,  and  how 
•t  failure  they  came.   Who 
t  if  Canada  had  come  into 
liculties  would  have  been 
5sions  ending  in  coidusion 
(•mething  radically  differ- 
me  document  which  con- 
ition  of  this  nadori's  great- 


I 


A  StriklnK  CoiitruHt. 

Moreover,  Quebec,  under  clerical  domi- 
nation for  the  past  two  hundred  and  fifty 
years,  presents  to  the  world  a  pitiable  spec- 
tacle, an  impressive  object  lesson  of  what 
a  people  may  tio/  become  under  Rom- 
ish sway,  as  compared  with  the  mag- 
nificent illustration  in  the  United  States  of 
what  a  people  may  become  under  free  and 
befieticent  laws  and  institutions.  And  was 
it  not  needful,  also,  to  the  best  results  that 
New  England  particularly,  Canada's  near 
neighbor,  should  be  left  unmolested  by  a 
people  of  radically  dissimilar  tastes,  opin- 
ions and  theories  of  government,  and  an  un- 
assimilating  element,  to  work  out  the  granil 
results  which  have  made  its  name  lustrous? 
May  we  not  see  the  hantl  of  Providence  in 
these  things?  At  Plymouth  Rock  and 
Jamestown  two  kindred  currents  of  civiliza- 
tion began,  at  length  blending  into  one  that 
has  been  as  the  water  of  life  to  the  civil 
world.  At  Tadousac,  later  and  almost  si- 
multaneously with  the  foregoing  events,  at 
Quebec,  started  a  difierent  current,  which 
has  fructitied  nothing  nor  givento  the  world 
anything  notewordiy.  In  the  broad  aspects 
of  the  case,  was  it  not  for  the  best  that 
Roman  Cadiolicism  obstructed  the  movL- 
nient  for  union  with  the  colonies  from  1774 
to  1776  ? 

For  similar  reasons  the  French  clergy 
took  the  part  of  England  in  the  War  of 
1812  ;  gave  no  support  to  the  leaders  of  the 
rebellion  who  in  1837  aimed  to  secure  Can- 
ada's independence,  and  wiio  to-day  in  Que- 
bec, as  Goldwin  Smith  affirms,  are  hostile 
to  annexation  to  the  United  States.  He 
says:  "The  force  adverse  to  vmion  has 
been  the  priesthood,  which  wished  to  keep 
Quebec  to  itself,  looking  on  American  lib- 
eralism as  dangerous  both  to  souls  and  to 
tithes."  There  has  been  very  little  emigra- 
tion from  France  to  Canada  since  1660,  so 
that  Quebec,  at  the  close  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  under  unprogressive  Romish  rule, 
is  essentially,  with  some  modifications,  Ro- 
man Catholic  mediiEvalism  —an  anachron- 
ism in  our  American  civilization. 

What  of  Aiiiitxiitlon? 

The  Catholic  Church  doesn't  want  it. 
Neither  do  we  want  it  with  that  Church  and 
its  prerogati\  js  in  the  province.  The  Dem- 
ocratic party  in  1854  were  stoudy  opposed 
to  any  scheme  of  annexation,  lest  the  North 


should  gain  prejionderating  influence  in 
Congress  for  the  destruction  of  slavery. 
Slavery  in  the  United  States  has  gone.  The 
next  great  act  of  emancipation  is  that  which 
shall  free  from  mental  and  religious  servi- 
tude the  people  of  Quebec,  and  so  open  to 
them  a  new  and  nobler  future.  Then  no- 
body will  object  to  union. 

The  JesiiitM  In  Caiiiula. 

The  Jesuits  who  first  came  to  Quebec  in 
1624  have  been  active  in  Church  and  State 
in  Canada.  A  few  years  ago,  by  under- 
handed measures,  they  secured  an  act  ot  iii- 
corporadon    for    their  order,   since    which 


;v.*:.V 


Ig.natius   Loyola  Crushing  out   the  I'hotestant 
Reformation. 

their  activity  and  boldness  have  surprised 
Canadir  I'  themselves.  Their  influence  has 
securer  stronger  legislation  in  favor  of  the 
the  Catholic  Church,  but  notoriously  the 
passage  of  a  bill  to  pay  $400,000  out  oi  the 
public  treasury,  for  the  benefit  of  the  order 
and  of  the  Church,  on  the  pretext  of  rectif\- 
ing  a  wrong  said  to  have  been  done  to  the 
society  by  the  sovereign  of  England  more 
than  a  century  ago. 

A  recent  act,  which  was  exciting  much 
attention  during  my  visit  to  the  province, 
was  the  erection  by  the  Jesuits  ot  a 
statue  of  Loyola  in  front   of   the  "  Jesuit's 


■H 


w 


I 


19 


TBE   HOME   MISSION    MONTHLY. 


( 


Retreat,"  in  the  finest  suburb  of  Quebec. 
As  the  existence  of  sucii  a  statue  liad 
been  denied  l)y  a  member  of  Parliament, 
I  made  search  for  it  and  found  it.  The 
accompanyinjj  p  cture,  from  77/e  Cana- 
dian Baplist  is  a  good  representation  of  it. 
The  base  is  about  ten  feet  iiigli  and  the 
statue  about  eight  feet.  Loyola  is  repre- 
sented as  a  conqueror  crushing  a  prostrate 
figure  with  a  most  malignant  and  agonizing 
expression  and  holding  in  his  right  hand  a 
book.  On  the  panel  above  the  base  is  the 
inscription  :  "  Ad  Loyolam  Soc.  Jesus  Fun- 
dator,"  On  liie  coat-of-arms  of  the  base  and 
on  the  scroll  m  Loyola's  left  hand  is  the 
motto  ol  the  order:  "Ad  majorem  Dei 
gloriam."  Without  revealing  my  identity  I 
interviewed  one  of  the  Jesuit  brothers  of 
the  "Retreat" — a  most  gross,  Habby-looking 
fellow  of  about  two  hundred  pounds  weight, 
yet  very  courteous.  He  stated,  in  sub- 
stance, that  the  statue  is  a  reproduction  of 
the  celebrated  statue  in  the  Vatican  at 
Rome,  representing  Loyola  subduing  the 
Spirit  of  evil  in  the  world,  the  prostrate  fig- 
ure signifying  the  spirit  of  evil  oi'  the  devil, 
and  the  book  signifying  civil  laws  and  doc- 
trines contrary  to  the  truth  of  God.  That, 
of  course,  means  contrary  to  Rome's 
crooked  interpretations  of  the  truth.  That 
monument,  erected  on  American  soil  at  the 
close  of  the  nineteenth  century,  means  a  re- 
vival of  Jesuit  manipulation  in  American 
affairs  and  a  wnw  crusade  for  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church.  That  an  order  whose 
l)aleful  intermeddling  has  repeatedly  com- 
pelled European  powers  in  self-defense  to 
suppress  it  and  banish  its  adherents,  should 
now  parade  itself  ojienly  in  Quebec  is  an 
evil  omen  for  Canada.  Not  only  was  it  able 
to  secure  the  $400,000  against  a  tempest  of 
Protestant  indignation,  but  although  lotter- 
ies arc  unlawful  in  Canada,  it  also  got  a 
special  act  authorizing  a  lottery  for  educa- 
tional and  charitable  purposes  in  the  inter- 
ests ol  the  church. 

Iluine'8  Old  Citadel,  the  City  of  Quebec, 

is  in  her  decadence.  Montreal,  her  rival, 
has  taken  the  scepter  of  her  commercial 
power.  Her  numerous  wharves,  where 
scores  of  vessels  formerly  received  and  de- 
livered their  cargoes,  are  deserted,  falling 
into  decay,  while  the  undisturbed  grass 
grows  thereon.  A  small  proportion  of  the 
population  is  English,  besides  the  garrison 


in  the  frowning  citadel,  more  than  three 
hundred  feet  above  the  river,  with  the  pre- 
cipitous cliifs  on  which  is  a  tablet  showing 
where  Montgomery  fell. 

AVIiat  of  ProteHtaiitlfiui  In  Quebec? 

Is  it  making  headway  against  Romanism  ? 
In  the  city  of  Quebec  is  a  little  Baptist 
Church,  with  a  small  house  of  worship  on  a 
comparatively  unfrequented  street.  The 
Episcopal  Church,  under  English  patronage, 
has  a  large  house  of  worship  and  the  prin- 
cipal English  congregation.  A  small  com- 
pany of  Methodists  assemble  in  a  large 
church  edifice  owned  but  unused  by  the 
Scotch  Presbyterians.  The  Congregation- 
alists  have  no  services  in  their  moderate- 
sized  house,  which  the  Salvation  Army  oc- 
cupied for  a  time  and  then  left.  Enormous 
ecclesiastical  and  educational  structures 
under  Romis!-  control  make  the  city  appear 
the  fortress  of  Romanism,  as  its  fortifica- 
fions  are  the  Gibraltar  of  America,  and  so 
overshadow  everything  Protestant. 

In  Montreal,  the  Metropolis  of  the  Uutntnion, 

things  are  somewhat  difterent.  With  the 
exception  of  one  or  two  lines  of  business, 
the  great  commercial  and  banking  institu- 
tions are  in  the  hands  of  Protestants,  who 
are  a  large  and  influential  element  in  its 
population.  Presbyterians  have  here  their 
splendid  McGill  College.  The  four  Baptist 
Churches  are  active  and  flourishing.  Other 
denominations  stand  well.  The  Daily  Wit- 
ness is  an  able,  outspoken  Protestant  ])aper. 
IJAurore,  the  undenominational  Protestant 
French  paper  is  pulilished  here,  with  a  cir- 
culation in  Canada  and  in  the  States  of 
about  1,500. 

But  here  also,  one  is  oppressed  with  a 
sense  of  the  nimii)er  of  graml  and  costly 
buildings  owned  by  Rome,  chief  of  which 
is  that  uncompleted  architectural  abortion, 
the  great  cathedral,  one-third  the  size  and  a 
l)artial  cojjy  of  St.  Peter's  at  Rome,  concern- 
ing which  Uoutre,  in  his  stinging  book, 
"  Au  Pays  de  Ruincs,"  says  :  "How  many 
millions  this  cathedral  fund  has  swallowed 
u])  nobody  will  ever  know.  It  is  the  gulf 
that  swallows  the  Catholic  wetilth  of  Mon- 
treal— the  inexhaustible  purveyor  of  secret 
funds  for  the  unceasing  clerical  struggle." 

French  CKnadian  PruteHtantg. 

The  odds  against  us  are  fearful,  and  yet, 
numerically,  not  quite  so  great  as  formerly. 
It  is  commonly  stated  that  there  are  from 


THE   UOME   MISSION   MONTHLY. 


13 


;1,  more  lluin  tluee 
river,  with  the  pre- 
is  a  tablet  showinf^ 

tlsiu  ill  Quebec? 

■  against  Romanism  ? 
c  is  a  Httle  Baptist 
onse  of  worsliip  on  a 
lented  street.  The 
er  English  patronage, 
orship  and  the  prin- 
tion.  A  small  com- 
issemblc  in  a  large 
but  unused  by  the 
The  Congregation- 
is  in  their  moderate- 
e  Salvation  Army  oc- 
then  left.  Enormous 
lucational  structures 
make  the  city  appear 
nism,  as  its  fortifica- 
r  of  America,  and  so 
g  Protestant. 
tpollii  of  the  Uuintnlon, 

different.  With  the 
wo  lines  of  business, 

and  banking  institu- 
s  of  Protestants,  who 
jential  element  in  its 
;rians  have  here  their 
ge.  The  four  Baptist 
nd  flourishing.  Other 
well.  Tiie  Daily  IVif- 
okcn  Protestant  paper. 
Dminational  Protestant 
ished  here,  with  a  cir- 
and    in    the   States   of 

c  is  oppressed  with  a 
r  of  grand  and  cosdy 
Rome,  chief  of  which 
arcliitcctural  abortion, 
inc-tiiird  the  size  and  a 
ter's  at  Rome,  concern- 
in  his  stinging  book, 
;s,"  says  ;  "  How  numy 
al  fund  has  swallowed 
know.  It  IS  the  gulf 
itholic  wealth  of  Mon- 
ble  purveyor  of  secret 
ing  clerical  struggle." 
liHii  Prote§tBiits. 

js  are  fearful,  and  yet, 
te  so  great  as  formerly, 
ed  that  there  are  from 


i 

I 


40,000  to  50,000  French  Canatlian  Protestants 
in  Canada  and  the  United  States.  This 
statement  may  be  taken  to  mean  too  much. 
Prolxibly  two-thirds  of  these  are  but  nomin- 
ally Protestants,  having  so  avowed  them- 
selves, like  Papineau,  to  escape  taxation  for 
church  purposes.  They  are  detached  from 
Rome,  but  slightly  attached  to  any  Protest- 
ant church.  Nevertheless  they  are  our 
allies,  hi  the  Province  of  Quebec  are  about 
fifty  Protestant  churches.  But  there  is  one 
county  in  the  province  where  there  are  only 
two  Protestants  to  13,742 
Romanists ;  three  counties 
with  only  four  Protestants, 
respectively,  to  a  Romanist 
population  of  13,819,  16,612 
and  20,451,  ard  some 
others  but  a  little  better. 
Against  these  scattered 
and  loosely  combined 
Protestant  elements  is  op- 
posed the  mighty  and 
matchless  organization  of 
Rome.  Yet  it  is  "not  by 
power  nor  by  might,  but 
by  my  Spirit,  saith  the 
Lord,''  that  victory  is 
achieved.  In  the  article 
on  "Grande  Ligne  Mis- 
sion" we  have  mentioned  some  of  the 
influences  operating  within  the  Romish 
Church  itself  as  encouraging  to  Christian 
effort  for  the  French  Canadians. 

The  ProceHH  iif  I)igiiit«j;rHtioii 

is  irresistibly  going  on,  notwithstanding  al- 
most frantic  efforts  of  the  clergy  to  consol- 
idate and  isolate  their  people.  Such  is  the 
condition  of  things  that  a  shrewd  and  saga- 
cious man  in  Montreal  said  to  me:  "With  a 
million  dollars  at  my  com  maud  I  could  quick- 
ly shake  Romanism  in  Quebec  to  its  very 
foundations."  Tlicre  is  now  pentling  in  the 
courts  of  the  province  a  suit  brought  by  the 
editor  of  the  Cnitatia  Rcvxic  against  the 
Archbishop  of  Montreal,  for  damages  be- 
cause of  a  boycott  ordered  Ijy  the  arch- 
bishop against  the  pa[)er,  and  in  September, 
when  the  case  was  called,  the  judge  refui  ed 
to  entertain  the  request  of  the  archbishop 
for  a  dismissal  of  die  case  on  the  ground 
that  his  circular  was  a  privileged  communi- 
cation. So  the  law  in  this  case  may  be 
helpful  to  the  Gospel.  When  archbishops 
in  Quebec  are  arraigned,  people  begin  to 
think   for   themselves.      Hence,  while   Ro- 


manism seems  a  most  formidal>le  foe  of 
Gospel  trudi  in  Quebec,  there  is  undoubted 
truth  in  the  remark  of  one  of  our  mission- 
aries there :  "  The  Church  of  Rome  appears 
to  be  stronger  than  she  really  is,  because  of 
the  hypocrisy  and  unbelief  of  a  large  num- 
ber of  her  adherents."  We  in  the  United 
States  cannot  be  disinterested  spe(  tators  of 
the  issue  of  things  in  Cantida.  For  what 
Rome  is  there,  she  would  like  to  be  here— 
Mistress  of  the  Nation. 

H.  L    M. 


The  Feller  Institute,  at  Grande  Ligne, 
Canada. 

On  tlie  front  of  the  three-story  stone  build- 
ing at  Grande  Ligne  is  a  tablet  showing  an 
open  book ;  above  it,  "  IN.STITUT  Feller  ;" 
at  the  left,  "  1840  ;"  at  the  right,  "  1890;"  un- 
derneath, -Fiat  Lux" — most  appropriate 
inscription.  In  the  midst  of  deep  intellect- 
ual and  spiritual  darkness  was  Feller  Insti- 
tute set  as  a  luminary  whose  blessed  rays 
have  reached  into  thousands  of  hearts  and 
homes.  "  Lei  there  be  light !"  This  was  die 
word  of  faith,  and  God  has  honored  the 
utterance. 

Near  this  building  still  stands  the  little 
one-story  house,  about  twenty  by  thirty  feet, 
in  whose  garret  Madame  F'eller,  in  1837, 
opened  her  school  for  the  French  chiUiren 
of  the  neighborhoods. 

In  the  garret  were  two  rooms  which  she 
occupied,  one  as  her  chamber,  the  other, 
kitchen,  parlor  and  school-room.  The  rest 
of  the  house  was  required  for  the  owner's 
family,  'here,  six  hours  daily,  five  days  in 
the  wee  -he  taught  about  twenty  children, 
and  at  lught  a  Bible  school  for  adults.     The 


H 


TEH   HOME   MISSION   MONTHLY. 


heat  of  summer  makin^i^  the  i^^arret  insuffera- 
ble, the  school  was  held  in  a  barn  until  fall, 
when,  through  the  aid  of  friends  in  Montreal 
and  Northern  New  York  a  modest  school 
buildinj^  was  erected.  The  rebellion  of 
1837  caused  the  suspension  of  the  school  for 
several  months.  Ear'/  in  1840  Madame 
Feller  visited  the  United  States,  going  as  far 
as  Philadelphia  to  secure  contributions  for  a 
new  building. 

So  well  did  she  succeed  that  in  1880  a  wing 
for  the  girl's  dormitory,  etc.,  was  erected. 
January  31st,  1890,  the  original  structure 
was  destroyed  by  fire,  tiie  new  wing,  how- 
ever, being  saved,  liy  prompt  and  vig(  rous 
efforts  about  $20,000  were  secured  for  the 
erection  of  the  present  building,  which  was 
opened  October  ist,  1890     This  is  the  signifi- 


LOG  HUT  IN   WHICH  MADAME   FRLt.BR   COMMBNCED   HBR 
WORK   AT  GRANUE   I.IGNE,    1835. 

cance  of  the  figures  "1890."  The  main 
building  is  70x42  ;    the  wing,  84  x  42. 

Originally  Madame  Feller  located  a  school 
for  girls  at  Longueuil,  opposite  Montreal ; 
and  the  boys'  school  at  Grande  Ligne. 
These  separate  schoo's  were  continued  Vi'ith 
many  vicissitudts,  until  1878,  when  the  build- 
ing at  Longueuil  was  sold,  the  proceeds  be- 
ing applied  to  the  erection  of  the  girls'  wing 
in  1880.  Since  then  co-education  has  been 
successfully  maintained. 

Why  was  the  school  planted  in  this  coun- 
try-place, thirty-three  miles  southerly  from 
Montreal,  fifteen  miles  from  the  boundary 
between  Canada  and  New  York  ;  away  from 
any  village  and  three-fourths  of  a  mile  from 
the  wretcheu  railroad  station  and  the  half- 
dozen  houses  about  it?  The  place  was 
selected  because  here  were  some  of  the  first 
converts  from  Romanism,  and  here  an  open 
liouse  was  found.    Elsewhere  the  priests 


had  caused  all  doors  to  be  closed  against 
Madame  Feller  and  her  co-laborers. 

Startlinf;  Igiiornnce. 

The  school  was  a  necessity  irt  consequence 
of  the  deplorable  ignorance  of  the  people. 
Think  of  it  !  In  1776,  when  Franklin  and 
others,  as  a  Committee  from  the  Colonial 
Congress,  visited  Canada,  they  found  in  the 
Province  of  Quebec  (including  Montreal  and 
Grand  Ligne),  that  in  a  population  of  150,000 
Roman  Catholics  and  360  Protestants  it  was 
a  rare  thing  to  find  one  who  could  read — 
perhaps  one  in  two  or  three  hundred.  The 
printing  press,  introduced  into  Cambridge, 
Mass.,  in  1638,  was  unknown  in  Canada  until 
1764,  or  126  years  behind  its  Protestant 
ne'ghbor  and  156  years  after  the  French  set- 
tlement of  Canada  (Garneau  Hist.  Can., 
183,  297).  When  Madame  Feller  went  to 
Montreal  in  1835,  not  one  in  ten  could  read. 
M.  Olivier,  who  had  preceded  her  one  year, 
wrote  in  1834:  "The  people  seem  to  me  to 
be  sadly  burdened,  very  sensual,  and  their 
ignorance  is  of  the  most  repulsive  kind." 

What  Need  of  the  School  Now  ? 

Much,  in  many  ways.  In  the  Province  of 
Quebec  there  is  a  French  population  of 
aljout  1 ,250,000.  About  50,000  are  nominally 
Protestant.  This  is  the  only  Bapfist  school 
in  the  Province  ;  our  only  school  in  the 
Dominion  for  the  French  population.  The 
Presbyterians  have  an  academy  near  Mon- 
treal, and  the  Methodists  one  also  in  that 
city  ;  neither,  however, equal  to  Feller  Insti- 
tute. The  system  of  public  school  educa- 
tion in  the  Province  is  mainly  in  the  hands 
of  Roman  Catholics,  chiefly  the  hierarchy. 
Where  there  is  a  considerable  Protestant 
element,  as  in  the  larger  cities,  there  is  in- 
deed a  Board  of  Protestant  School  Commis- 
sioners, as  well  as  a  Board  of  Catholic  School 
Commissioners,  so  that  separate  schools  for 
Protestants  and  Catholics  are  maintained. 
Elsewhere,  generally,  Catholics  control  abso- 
lutely ;  Catholic  text  books.  Catholic  teach- 
ers, Catholic  religious  instruf^tion.  What 
now  can  a  dozen  French  Protestant  families 
widely  separated  in  a  rural  community  of 
two  or  three  thousand  French  Catholics  do 
for  the  education  of  their  children  ?  To 
send  them  to  the  Catholic  school  means 
their  indoctrination  in  the  Catholic  faith, 
or  these  children  are  ostracized,  despised, 
taunted  as  heretics  and  subjected  to  many 
indignities.     For  these  few  and  poor  fami- 


to  lie  closed  ajjainst 
r  co-laborcrs. 

gnornn«i<>. 

essitv  irt  consequence 
)rancc  of  the  people. 
,  when  Franklin  and 
}e  from  the  Colonial 
ida,  they  found  in  the 
eluding  Montreal  and 
population  of  150,000 
360  Protestants  it  was 
ne  who  could  read — 
three  hundred.  The 
iced  into  Cambridge, 
nown  in  Canada  until 
ehind  its  Protestant 
3  after  the  French  set- 
Garneau  Hist.  Can., 
lame  Feller  went  to 
5ne  in  ten  could  read, 
•eceded  iier  one  year, 
jeople  seem  to  me  to 
ry  sensual,  and  their 
st  repulsive  kind." 

le  School  ttoMi  ? 

5.  In  tlie  Province  of 
rench  population  of 
it  50,000  are  nominally 
e  only  Baptist  school 
r  only  school  in  the 
ich  population.     The 

academy  near  Mon- 
ists  one  also  in  that 
.equal  to  Feller  Insti- 
public  school  educa- 
3  mainly  in  the  hands 
;hierty  the  hierarchy, 
nsiderable  Protestant 
jer  cities,  there  is  in- 

tant  School  Commis- 
ardof  Catholic  School 
it  separate  schools  for 
)lics  arc   maintained. 

atholics  control  abso- 
looks,  Catholic  teach- 
instruf'tion.  What 
ch  Protestant  families 

rural  community  of 
1  French  Catholics  do 

their  children?    To 

tholic  school  means 
n   the  Catholic  faith, 

ostracized,  despised, 
id  subjected  to  many 
c  few  and  poor  fami- 


THE   HOME   MISSION  MONTHLY. 


IS 


lies  to  erect  a  schoolhouse  and  support  a 
teacher  is  ordinarily  an  impossibility.  For 
many,  therefore,  Feller  Institute  affords  the 
only  chance  of  getting  an  education  under 
Protest;<nt  auspices. 

It  Ih  the  Only  Door  of  Hope. 

Take  an  illustration  of  it.  Here  is  a  youth 
of  nineteen,  a  child  of  Protestant  parents 
residing  in  a  densely  Catholic  community, 
who  does  not  know  the  alphabet.  He  goes 
to  Feller  Institute,  develops  a  taste  for 
learning,  is  converted,  feels  called  to  the 
ministry,  pursues  a  two  years'  course  of 
study,  French  and  English,  at  Newtc  1  The- 
ological Institution,  during  which  time  he  is 
a  missionary  to  the  French  in  Boston, 
returns  to  Canada,  and  when  the  right  man 
is  wanted  to  lead  the  Baptist  forces  as  the 
outcome  of  the  great  Catholic  revolt  at  Mas- 
kinonge,  is  selected  for  that  important  post, 
where  I  met  him  doing  excellent  work  for 
the  Master.  His  sister,  like  himself,  illiter- 
ate when  she  came  to  Grande  Ligne,  is  to-day 
a  teacher  in  the  institution.  Scores  of  simi- 
lar cases  might  be  mentioned. 

The  Hope  of  Kveii  French-Canadian   BaptlstH. 

The  school  is  a  necessity  for  the  French 
Baptists  in  Canada.  The  education  of  their 
children,  the  raising  up  of  future  leaders  de- 
jjends  largely  upon  its  maintenance.  Here, 
for  instance,  is  Prof.  G.  N.  Masse,  the  head 
of  the  institution,  born  in  Glens  Falls,  N. 
Y.,  coming  back  to  Canada  with  his  poor 
widowed  mother  to  the  vicinity  of  Grande 
Ligne  ;  taken  into  the  school,  where  he  was 
converted  ;  after  finishing  his  studies  there, 
completing  a  college  course  with  honor  at 
McGill  College,  Montreal ;  then  becoming 
assistant  instructor  at  Feller  Institute,  and 
for  the  past  six  years  its  efficient  head.  Many 
other  young  men  who  studied  and  were 
converted  here  are  laboring  in  French  mis- 
sion fields  in  Canada  and  in  the  United 
States.  More  and  more  is  the  demand  for 
educated,  qualified  leaders  to  cope  with  the 
subtle  and  sophistical  Roman  Catholic  hier- 
archy, and  to  preach  the  Gospel  with  sim- 
plicity and  power.  Feller  Institute  must  to  a 
large  extent  meet  this  demand.  It  is  our 
stronghold  in  the  crusade  against  Rome  in 
Canada. 

More  than  all  this  : 

It  Is  a  Missionary  Institution 
in   spirit,   method   and   operations.      Every 
year  from  ten  to  twenty  Catholic  children 


are  enrolled,  and,  sooner  or  later,  most  of 
these  accept  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Christ,  and 
break  with  Rome  forever.  Revival  influences 
are  experienced  nearly  every  year  among 
the  scholars.  Of  the  240  different  pupils 
since  1890,  sixty-seven  professed  conversion, 
eleven  of  these  being  Roman  Catholics. 

Forty  minutes  daily  are  devoted  to  the 
study  of  the  Bible.  The  great  aim  is  to 
form  intelligent,  strong  Christian  character, 
and,  as  men  shall  be  called  of  God,  to  pro- 
vide a  suitable  ministry  for  the  benighted 
French  population  of  Canada. 
Attendance. 

The  largest  attendance  at  one  time  last 
year  was  120.  Not  more  than  ten  English 
students  are  admitted.  More  would  come,  if 
there  were  room,  to  study  French,  as  well  as 
for  the  excellent  religious  atmosphere  of  the 
Institution.  In  1891,  twelve  pupils  were  from 
the  United  States  ;  in  1892,  twenty-three  ;  and 
to  September  (when  I  visited  the  school) 
thirty-three  from  the  United  States  had  ap- 
plied for  admission.  Probably  not  more  than 
twenty-five  could  be  taken. 

Needs  of  the  School. 

Accommodations  for  pupils  are  inadp. 
quate.  A  wing  for  boys,  corresponding  to 
the  girls'  wing,  is  imperatively  demanded. 
This  will  cost  about  $25,000.  The  immedi- 
ate friends  and  supporters  of  the  work,  who 
have  given  so  liberally  for  new  buildings, 
for  endowment  and  for  current  expenses 
the  past  few  years,  are  unable  to  meet  this 
expense.  I  am  convinced  that  nowhere 
could  there  be  a  better  investment  than  in 
helping  to  erect  this  building,  which  would 
almost  double  the  usefulness  of  the  Institu- 
tion with  but  a  trifling  increase  in  its  cur- 
rent expenses. 

It  has  an  Uxoellent  and  Scholarly  Faoally. 

Prof.  G.  N.  Masse  and  his  brother,  Arthur 
E.  Masse,  are  graduates  of  McGill  College. 
Prof.  Norman  is  a  graduate  of  McMaster 
College,  Toronto,  where  he  also  took  one 
year  in  Theology  ;  Prof.  Rainville  is  a  grad- 
uate of  the  Medical  School  of  Burlington 
University  ;  Prof.  Parent,  who  is  also  pastor 
of  the  Grande  Ligne  Church,  is  a  graduate  of 
McGill ;  Mrs.  Masse,  formerly  of  Vermont, 
is  a  cultured  and  wonderfully  energetic 
lady  ;  while  two  or  three  other  instructors 
are  well  qualified  for  their  posifions.  While 
the  school  receives  pupils  in  the  lowest 
grades,  as  in  cases  already  mentioned,  yet 


I 


16 


TUB   HOME   MISSION   MONTHLY. 


!  ! 


ts  standard  lias  been  raised  and  its  course 
of  study  revised,  so  tliat  now  students  who 
satisfactorily  complete  the  ful!  course  are 
admitted  to  the  Freshman  Class  of  Mac- 
Master  College  upon  the  Principal's  certifi- 
cate without  the  usual  examination. 

A  Good  Working  Ilotml. 

In  1888  a  new  charter  was  obtained  from 
the  Legislature  of  Quebec  for  "  The  Grande 
Ligne  Mission,"  which  has  for  its  ol)ject 
"the  promotion  of  Cliristian  education  and 
the  propagation  of  the  Gospel."  This  corpo- 
ration owns  and  controls  the  school  through 
a  Board  of  fifteen  Directors,  "  who  shall  all 
be  members  of  regular  Baptist  churches." 
The  President  of  the  Society  is  A.  A.  Ayer, 
Esq.,  of  Montreal,  a  man  who  ranks  high  in 
business  circles  as  well  as  in  our  denomina- 
tional affairs  in  the  Dominion,  an  enthusi- 
astic and  generous  supporter  of  the  Insti- 
tution, \\ho  said  to  me:  "It  is  my  chief 
pleasure  and  recreation  to  look  after  the 
affairs  of  The  Grande  Ligne  Mission." 
No  figure-head  is  he.  Would  that  more 
business  men  might  find  their  pleasure  and 
recreation  in  a  similar  way.  It  was  my 
privilege  to  meet  him  with  that  veteran  and 
silver-tongued  orator.  Rev.  Theo.  Lafleur, 
Rev.  A.  Therrien,  the  able  pastor  of  the 
French  Church  in  Montreal  and  the  skil- 
ful controversialist,  whose  letters  in  the 
Maskinonge  case  have  so  worried  the  Ro- 
manists ;  also  Rev.  Jos.  Richards,  the  Treas- 
urer, who  is  ever  stirring  up  the  people  to 
the  importance  of  the  work.  These,  with 
some  Montreal  pastors  and  other  able  breth- 
ren, compose  a  good  working  Board  for  the 
management  of  the  Institution  as  well  as 
for  the  missionary  work  of  the  Society. 

Endowment. 

The  school  has  an  endowment  of  $30,000. 
It  ought  to  have  $100,000.  The  usual  rates 
for  students  are  $75  per  year.  This  includes 
everything,  except  some  extras,  as  music. 
It  is  marvelously  cheap ;  but  the  school  is 
for  the  many  who  have  but  little  money. 

It  1h  Beautifully  Located 

in  the  midst  of  a  fertile  region  ;  three  miles 
east,  the  Richelieu  River  like  a  silver  ribbon 
emboweled  in  green  ;  and,  miles  beyond, 
tlie  lofty  blue  peaks  of  the  Green  Mountain 
range  iieing  plainly  visible.  A  little  way 
back  of  the  buildings  is  the  cemetery  where 
rest  the  remains  of  Madam.e  Feller,  who  for 
thirty  years,  un.il   her    death   in   1868,  was 


connected  with  the  school;  while  near  by 
are  the  graves  of  Revs.  Mr.  Roussy  and 
Normandeau.  Returning  from  the  ceme- 
tery we  see  the  simple,  rude  1  wo-whc  el  chaise 
in  which  Madame  Feller  was  acnustomeu  to 
ride.  Within  the  building  are  some  arti- 
cles of  furniture  that  were  hers.  Her  por- 
trait adorns  the  walls  of  the  Institution. 
Within,  as  well  as  without,  eveiything  is 
neat  and  attractive.  Indeed,  I  was  sur- 
prised to  find  such  admirable  amngements 
tliroughout  the  building.  As  the  visitor  w.ilks 
through  the  halls,  he  sef's  upon  nearly  every 
door  the  name  of  some  individual,  church 
or  society  which  contributed  for  the  fur- 
nishing of  the  rooms.  In  this  icspect  Brook- 
lyn led  all  otiers — for  which,  as  well  as  for 
many  otluT  ;ood  things,  the  Woman's 
Grand  Ligne  Association  of  that  city  must 
have  the  credit. 

What  of  the  Future  of  Feller  IiiHtltute? 

About  its  needs  and  its  value  tliLie  can 
be  no  question.  It  will  be  more  and 
more  needed  as  the  process  r  mental 
and  religious  emancipation  from  Romish 
tyranny  goes  on.  With  proper  accommo- 
dations and  adequate  endowiinient,  it  might 
become  an  influential  Baptist  acatleniy  both 
for  F'rench  and  English  students  in  the 
Province.  The  French  language  is  spoken 
almost  universady  throughout  the  Province 
of  Quebec,  and  will  be  spoken  for  an  indefi- 
nite period.  Teaching  and  preaching  must 
be  in  P>eiich.  There  are  eiifre  communi- 
ties where  English  is  an  unknown  tongue. 
Hence,  the  school  has  a  distinctive  and  im- 
portant mission  which  is  not  likely  to  ter- 
minate for  ihe  next  hundred  years.  It  has 
lately  taken  on  new  life,  put  itself  iii'.o  rela- 
tions with  other  institutions,  has  rooted 
itself  in  the  confidence  of  sound  minded 
and  excellent  Christian  men,  so  that  there  is 
eveiy  reason  to  expect  for  it  a  future  ot  lar 
greater  usefulness  than  ever  before,  if  only 
it  can  soon  be  put  in  possession  of  resources 
at  all  adequate  for  larger  and  more  effective 
seivice,  H.  L.  M. 


The  Grande  Ligne  Mission. 

The  mustard  seed  planted  in  Canadian 
soil  in  1834  has  become  a  flourishing  tree  in 
1893.  The  soil  was  cold  and  hard,  the 
solitary  shoot  unprotected  by  favoring  cir- 
cumstances encountered  many  and  severe 
blasts  of  opposition  ;  but  amid  all  (ii.«cour- 


I 


LY. 


THE   HOME   MISSION   MONTHLY. 


Vi 


school;  while  near  by 
Rpvs.  Mr.  Roussy  and 
rnitifj  from  the  cemc- 
j,  rude  iwo-w'iK  el  chaise 
;ller  was  arr^ustomeu  to 
uddini^  are  some  arti- 
t  were  hers.  Her  por- 
ills  of  the  Institution, 
without,  evciythinfj  is 
.  huleed,  I  was  sur- 
dniiral.le  arr.mgements 
ing.  As  the  visitor  wjlks 

scs  ui;on  nearly  every 
ome  individual,  church 
)ntril)uted  for  the  fur- 
i.  hi  this  icspect  Brook- 
ir  which,  as  well  as  for 

things,  the  Woman's 
ation  of  that  city  must 

re  of  Feller  IiiHtltute? 

id  its  value  tliLie  can 
t  will  be  more  and 
he  process  r  mental 
icipation  from  .Romish 
A^ith  proper  accommo- 
e  endownment,  it  might 
d  Baptist  academy  boUi 
iglish  students  in  the 
ich  language  is  spoken 
hroughout  the  Province 
be  spoken  for  an  indefi- 
ng  and  preaching  must 
e  are  er.tire  communi- 
s  an  unknown  tongue, 
as  a  distinctive  and  im- 
ich  is  not  likely  to    ter- 

hundred  years.  It  has 
life,  put  itself  in'.o  rela- 
nsututions,  has  rooted 
::nce  of  sound  minded 
^an  men,  so  that  there  is 
ect  for  it  a  future  of  lar 
lan  ever  before,  if  only 

possession  of  resources 
irger  and  more  effective 
H.  L.  M. 


Ligne  Mission. 

3d  planted  in  Canadian 
jme  a  nourishing  tree  in 
as  cold  and  hard,  the 
otected  by  favoring  cir- 
itered  many  and  severe 
but  amid  all  discour- 


agements the  few  faithful  souls  who  planted 
pnd  v'ared  for  it  remained  steadfast  in  their 
purpose,  believmg  that  their  labor  should 
not  be  in  vain  in  the  Lord. 

Few  missions  have  iiad  a  more  romantic 
beginning  than  this,  hi  i8i6,  at  Lausanne, 
Switzerland,  a  widow  at  the  early  age  of  twen- 
ty-six, highly  accomplished,  endowed  with 
rare  personal  graces,  having  an  ample  for- 
tune, and  withal  and  above  all  a  deep  religious 
spirit,  applies  herself  with  her  pastor  and  his 
noble  wife  to  the  establishment  of  a  training 
school  for  missionaries  to  foreign  lands. 
Among  the  first  volunteers  for  such  service 
are  the  pastor  and  his  wife  who  select 
Canada  as  their  field.  Within  a  year,  to  the 
amazement  and  against  the  protestation  of 
kindred  and  friends,  this  Christian  widow, 
leaving  all  that  wasdcar,at  her  own  expense, 
departs  for  the  same  field.  The  Lausanne 
Society  withdrew  support  from  their  mis- 
sionary because  he  did  rot  devote  himself 
especially  to  work  among  the  Intlians.  Un- 
dismayed, he  remains,  teaching  for  a  liveli- 
hood. Broken  health  compels  his  return 
about  a  year  later,  leaving  this  widow,  with 
a  solitary  helper  who  accompanied  her  from 
Switzerland,  to  contend  with  extreme  difli- 
culties  in  her  new  field.  No  society  supports 
her.  Among  the  people  for  whose  welfare 
she  yearns,  no  welcome  awaits  her. 

I>rle8tly  Opposition. 

The  power  of  the  Roman  Catholic  priest- 
hood is  arrayed  against  her.  Vainly,  first  at 
Montreal,  then  at  St.  John's  she  endeavors  to 
establish  herself.  Finally  at  Grand  Ligne 
she  finds  an  open  door.  Here  in  a  garret 
she  begins  her  mission,  teaching,  giving 
Bible  readings  often  lasting  until  midnight  ; 
living  in  the  niost  humble  way  without  a 
domestic  ;  on  Saturdays  doing  her  cooking 
for  the  ensuing  week  ;  visiting  the  sick  and 
prescribing  remedies  ;  writing  letters  for  the 
illiterate  people  ;  compelled  to  fiee  to 
Northern  New  York  for  two  months  in  the 
•■ebellion  of  1837  and  returning  to  find  the 
premises  despoiled  of  everything  valuable  ; 
persecuted  ;  threatened  with  violence  ;  but 
through  all  unshaken  in  her  purpose  to  give 
the  Gospel  to  the  people  of  Lower  Canada. 
This  woman  was  Madame  Henrietta  Feller 
wfio  came  to  Canada  in  1835,  about  one  year 
after  Rev.  M.  Henri  Olivier  and  wife,  who  re- 
turned in  1836.  Rev.  Mr.  Roussy  was  the 
remaining  co-laborer. 

Impressed  with   the  great   needs   of    the 


field,  she  repeatedly  and  with  success  visited 
several  cities  in  the  United  States  to  awaken 
interest  and  secure  contributions  for  neces- 
sary buildings  and  for  mission  work.  Grande 
Ligne  Societies  were  organized  among  the 
women  of  Boston,  New  York,  Brooklyn, 
Philadelphia  and  elsewhere.  From  1835  to 
her  death  in  1868,  she  was  the  controlling 
spirit  of  the  mission.  For  thirty-three  years 
this  remarkable  Christian  woman  gave  her 
time,  money,  and  talents  entirely  and  ab- 
solutely to  the  work.  The  founder  and 
builder  of  Grande  Ligne  Mission  was  Hen- 
rietta Feller.  Worthy  of  high  honor,  also, 
were  such  loyal  co-laborers,  as  Rev.  Mr. 
Roussy,  Theo.  Latteur,  L.  Normandeau,  as 
well  as  others  ofability  in  more  recent  years. 
In  the  galaxy  of  names,  however,  none  will 
shine  with  a  lustre  like  that  of  Madame 
Feller, 

Clinraoter  of  the  Mission. 

At  the  first  it  was  an  individual  enterprise. 
Then  a    few    persons  were  associated  in  a 


ROISSV   ME.Mi   •  lAL   BAPTIST   CHIRCH,   GKANDE    LION  K,    P.    I}. 

general  way  for  this  purpose.  The  i>ersoii- 
ality  of  the  principal  laborers  constituted  die 
power  of  the  mission.  For  about  ten  years, 
Madame  Feller  was  unwilling  to  have  it 
placed  in  charge  of  any  missionary  urban- 
ization. Christians  of  various  deni.miiia- 
tions  had  become  interested  in  this,  the 
first  Protestant  mission  to  French-Canadian 
Catholics.  Aid  had  been  given  by  the  Can- 
ada Baptist  Missionary  Society  and  especi- 
ally by  the  Foreign  Evangelical  Society 
which  desired  to  adopt  the  mission,  liut 
failing  in  this  endeavored  to  bring  it  under 
the  auspices  of  an  allied  Pedo-Baptist 
Society  in  Canada.  This  attempt  led 
Madame  Feller  and  her  associates  to  make 
a  general  statement  of  their  belief,  as  they 
had  not  hesitated  to  do  previously  in  a  less 


r 


18 


TUE   ROME   MISSION   MONTHLY. 


piil)Iic  way.  Before  leaving  Switzerland  she 
li.td  l)oen  convinced  that  baptism  for  be- 
lievers only  and  that  by  immersion  was  the 
true  scriptural  order.  Singularly  enough, 
Rev.  Mr.  Roussy  while  on  his  voyage  to 
America  in  1834,  was  led  Ijy  a  careful  study 
of  the  New  Testament  to  the  same  con- 
clusion and  upon  his  arrival  in  jVIontreal 
asixcd  for  baptism  ;' id  became  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  Church.  So  that,  as  in  the 
case  of  Judson  and  Rice  and  the  mission  to 
Burma,  God  gave  to  American  Baptists  the 
missionaries  and  the  field  in  Canada,  before 
they  asked  for  it;  nay,  by  his  Providence 
He  thrust  it  upon  them  as  a  divine  call  to 
engage  in  this  work.  From  the  beginning 
of  the  Grande  Linge  Mission,  therefore,  in- 
fant baptism  was  rejected  as  unscriptural 
and  converts  were  immersed  on  personal 
prolession  of  their  faith  in  Christ.  When 
this  statement  was  made,  contributions 
from  Pedo-Baptist  sources  fell  off  rapidly. 

The  A.  B.  H.  M.  Socloty. 

In  1845  ^n  alliance  was  formed  with  tiie 
Canada  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  whose 
aid,  on  account  of  financial  embarrassment, 
was  of  brief  duration.  Madame  Feller  with 
the  efficient  co-operation  of  Dr.  Fyfe  ap- 
pealed to  the  Baptists  of  the  Un.ed  States. 
In  1848  the  Executive  Board  of  the  American 
Baptist  Home  Mission  Society  sent  Dr.  Hill, 
their  corresponding  secretary,  to  visit  and 
report  on  the  mission  at  Grand  Ligne.  His 
report  was  favorable.  A  Provisional  Com- 
mittee to  whom  the  matter  was  referred  re- 
ported emphatically  in  favor  of  an  appro- 
priation to  the  mission.  Thereupon  the 
Society  adopted  all  missionaries,  and 
from  1849  ^o  i860  made  appropriations 
for  their  support,  aggregating  over 
$28,000.  In  the  list  of  missionaries  thus 
supported,  we  find  the  names  of  N.  Cyr,  L. 
Normandeau,  L.  Roussy,  Theo.  LaHeur,  J, 
N.  Williams,  T.  Riendeau,  F.  Lamoreaux, 
Chas.  Roux,  H.  Tetrau,  J.  D.  Rossier,  L. 
Pasche.  The  largest  number  of  stations  oc- 
cupied in  one  year  was  9,  cutstations  34. 
Baptisms  reported  for  the  period,  195. 
The  Society  discontinued  its  support  in 
i860,  partly  because  of  the  complex  educa- 
tional and  missionary  character  of  the  work, 
but  chiefiy  because  the  West  was  making 
heavier  demands  upon  its  treasury.  It  was 
also  believed  that  the  mission  would  re- 
ceive adequate  support  from  the  voluntary 


organizations  and  from  individuals  who  hud 
become  interested  in  it. 

A  Ulittlnctlvely  llaptlnt  (IrKanlxHtlon. 

The  mission  was  incorporated  in  1855  as 
"  The  I-^vangeliral  Society  of  La  Grande 
Lij,'ne."  It  had  no  distinctive  dciomina- 
tional  affiliation,  though  its  constitution  re- 
♦piired  "  the  baptism  of  believers  only." 
While  Baptistit,  in  general  spirit  and  belief 
there  was  not  conformity  to  Baptist  practice 
in  church  organization  and  order.  The 
baptized  converts  were  loosely  associated 
for  the  maintenance  of  religious  services. 
This  fact,  militated  somewhat  against  the 
mission  in  many  Baptist  circles  both  in 
Canada  and  tlie  United  States.  Tlie  grow- 
ing feeling  of  many  connected  with  the 
work,  that  it  should  be  distirctively  and 
thoroughly  Baptistic  at  icnp'th  led  to  an  ap- 
plication for  radical  changes  in  t!ie  act  of  in- 
corporation, which  was  effected  in  1888, 
placing  the  whole  work  of  "  The  Grande 
Ligne  Mission" — its  present  corporate  name 
— avowedly  under  Baptist  control.  By 
this  process  ot  evolution  the  mission  to-day 
stands  squarely  on  a  B  Dtist  basi=.  Within 
a  few  years  at  se^  cral  of  'die  mission  stafions 
regular  Bapfist  Churches  have  been  organ- 
ized, and  others  will  follow. 

Rev.  Mr.  Therricn  of  Montreal  has  been  in- 
fluential in  bringing  about  this  result.  The 
entire  mission  now  hasa  warm  place  among 
Baptists  in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  and  is 
rapidly  gaining  friends  and  helpers  in  On- 
tario and  the  Maritime  Provinces. 

Receipts. 

For  the  year  cndnig  Jan.,  1892,  the  re- 
ceipts for  missionary  and  educational  pur- 
poses were  $17,772,  of  which  nearly  $3,000 
came,  from  the  United  States  ;  and  for  the 
eight  months  ending  Sept.  30,  1892,  $9,- 
172.92,  of  whicli  $1,986.37  was  from  the 
States.  Sometimes  when  the  financial  out- 
look has  been  very  dark,  God  has  honored 
the  faith  of  his  servants,  in  a  striking  man- 
ner, as  in  the  following  instance.  The 
writer  in  September  received  a  letter  from 
President  Ayer  saying  :  "  We  had  a  peculiar 
-xperience  the  day  you  left.  Our  treasury 
had  been  emptied  and  there  was  not  suf- 
ficient to  pay  our  missionaries  by  nearly 
$400.  We  agreed  to  wait  a  day  and  pray. 
Before  night  there  came  a  draft  for  £100 
from  England.  We  have  often  before  had 
a  similar  experience." 


I 


Y. 


I  individuals  who  hud 

I. 

tlitt  Org^anUatlon. 

corporated  in  1855  as 
L'iety  of  La  Grande 
istinctive  dc  lomina- 
h  its  constitution  re- 

of  believers  only." 
r*ral  spirit  and  belief 
ity  to  Baptist  practice 
n  and  order.  The 
e  loosely  associated 
»f  religious  services, 
imevvhat  against  the 
ptist  circles  both  in 
d  States.    Tlie  grow- 

connecteJ  with  the 
be  distirctively   ami 

lenp-ii'  led  to  an  ap- 
anges  in  t!ie  act  of  in- 
as  effected  in  1888, 
rk  of  "  The  Grande 
Escnt  corporate  name 
aptist  control.  By 
)n  the  mission  to-day 

Dtist  basi«.  Within 
t  Ihe  mission  stations 
es  have  been  organ- 
How. 

Montreal  has  been  in- 
out  this  result.  The 
5  a  warm  place  among 
ce  of  Quebec,  and  is 
3  and  helpers  in  On- 

Provinces. 

pts. 

r  Jan.,  1892,  the  re- 
and  educational  pur- 
which  nearly  $3,000 
i  States  ;  and  for  the 
Sept.  30,  1892,  $9,- 
S6.37  was  from  the 
len  the  financial  out- 
-Ic,  God  has  honored 
ts,  in  a  striking  man- 
ing  in-tance.  The 
3ceiveu  a  letter  from 
:  "We had  a  peculiar 
u  left.  Our  treasury 
[  there  was  not  suf- 
ssionaries  by  nearly 
^'ait  a  day  and  pray, 
me  a  draft  for  £100 
ivc  often  before  had 


THU   HOME   MISSION    MONTHLY. 


19 


PMiilUr  DiffloDltlen. 

The  field  was,  and  still  is  peculiarly  difli- 
ciilt.  F'or  at  least  two  iiundred  years  prior 
to  1834  Roman  Catholicism  hail  neld  almost 
ahsoliiii-  sway  in  the  province.  The  people 
were  appallingly  ignorant  (see  stat  nient  in 
article  on  Feller  Institute).  They  could 
not  be  reached  by  books,  papers  or  tracts. 
When  Bibles  were  given  to  some  who  could 
read,  it  was  a  favorite  pastime  with  priests 
to  obtain  and  burn  them.  Bible-burning  is 
of  frequent  occurrence  among  Canadian 
Catholics  to-day.  It  was  diflUcult  to  get  a 
congregation.  Priests  warned  the  faithful, 
under  penalties,  not  to  set  foot  in  a  Protest- 
ant place  of  worship.  This  admonition  is 
given  to-day,  so  that  good  Catholics  regard 
it  a  mortal  sin  even  to  enter  a  Protestant 
church.  Hand  to  hand,  house  to  house 
work  was,  and  in  most  localities  still  is  the 
princ'pal  method  of  getting  the  truth  before 
the  people. 

Iligrotry  and  Persecution. 

Bigotry  amounted  .  to  positive  hostility. 
Great  prudence  was  necessary.  Mission- 
aries suffered  personal  violence.  Even 
within  the  last  year,  at  Sorel,  this  has  been 
shown.  When  Bro.  Cote  (formerly  mission- 
ary of  the  Society  at  Marlboro,  Mass.)  went 
to  this  Catholic  city,  even  with  the  cash  in 
his  hand.  Catholics  would  not  sell  oats  for 
his  horse  nor  furniture  for  his  residence. 
.So  he  had  to  purchase  at  Montreal,  forty- 
five  miles  away.  And  only  in  August  last 
a  stone  weighing  two  or  three  pounds  •<7as 
liurled  through  sash  and  window  iuio  his 
sleeping-room  at  night.  I  saw  the  indenta- 
tion on  a  chair  where  it  struck. 

Converts  are  persecuted.  When  a  busi- 
ness man  renounces  Romanism  the  first 
step  is  to  ruin  his  business  by  the  with- 
drawal of  patronage,  and  so  compel  him  to 
return  or  leave  the  place.  Hundreds  have 
left  rather  than  return  to  Romanism.  The 
fartiier  may  withstand  diis  pressure  better 
than  tl'.e  business  man,  the  professional 
man  or  laborer.  Many,  lialf  emancipated 
from  their  errors,  and  ready  in  ordinary  cir- 
cumstances to  accept  the  Gospel  as  held  by 
us,  yet,  unable  to  dispose  of  their  business 
or  real  estate,  and  seeing  only  ruin  before 
tiiem  if  they  become  Protestants,  reluctantly 
succumb  to  the  awfid  and  merciless  pres- 
sure, and  for  the  sake  of  their  families 
abide  with  tlie  church. 


OatrMclNiii. 

Roman  Catholic  society  ostracizes  the 
convert  to  I'rotcstantism.  W'itli  few  excep- 
tions, in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  the  high- 
est, and,  for  that  matter,  the  lowest  social 
circles  are  Roman  Catholic.  What  a  potent 
ftictor  in  the  case  this  is  tippe  irs  from  the 
fact  that  the  French  are  peculiarly  suscepti- 
ble to  public  opinion,  very  sen<«itive  about 
tlie  estimation  in  which  they  are  held  by 
their  acquaintances.  The  independent 
Englishman  or  American,  having  decided 
on  his  course,  strikes  out  boldly,  saying,  "  I 
don't  care  for  these  things."  The  French 
Canadian  asks,  "  What  will  they  say  ?  "  He 
is  conspicuously  social  and  gregarious  in 
his  instincts  and  feelings.  They  freeze  out 
the  Protestant  convert.  Even  parents  dis- 
own their  children  and  would  rathc-r  bury 
them  than  see  them  leave  the  CImrch  of 
Rome.  Here,  near  Grande  Ligne,  is  a  con- 
verted ex-priest,  now  a  Baptist  missionary 
of  deep  piety  and  special  gifts  as  a  writer, 
who  is  not  recognized  by  members  of  his 
father's  family  or  offered  hospitality  if  he 
enters  the  paternal  abode.  Cases  like  these 
could  be  multiplied  almost  indefinitely. 

In  the  midst  of  these  all-surrounding  and 
overpowering  influences  the  work  has  been 
necessarily  slow.  In  1837,  at  Grande  Ligne, 
seven  converts  were  organized  into  a 
church,  nine  others  uniting  a  few  months 
later.  This  was  the  first  French  Protestant 
Church  in  Canada.  The  good  seed  fell  into 
some  good  and  honest  hearts  and  com- 
manded the  assent  of  some  well-educated 
men,  who,  risking  all  for  Christ,  came  forth 
to  proclaim  with  great  eloquence  and  power 
the  pure  Gospel  to  their  benighted  country- 
men. To  leave  the  Church  of  Rome  in 
Canada  is  no  trifling  matter ;  especially  to 
receive  baptism  at  the  hand  of  a  Baptist 
minister — the  most  cordially  hated  of  all 
Protestants. 

Membership, 

Under  these  circumstances  it  is  not  to  be 
wondered  at  that  the  number  of  Baptists  in 
actual  membership  in  the  churches  and 
missions  of  Grande  Ligne  is  not  large. 
They  do  not  probably  exceed  five  hundred. 
The  strongest  churches  are  at  Grande  Ligne, 
Montreal  and  Roxton,  having  about  seventy- 
five  members  each.  For  reasons  stated, 
many  converts  have  gone  to  the  United 
States,  and,  unfil  within  recent  years,  at 
least,  many  of  these,  uuinstructed  in  thedis- 


i 


20 


TEE   HOME    MISSION    MONTIILY. 


tinctive  principles  of  Haptists,  were  cauglit 
in  tiie  Conjjre^jational  net  tluit  was  set  for 
them  in  New  Engiantl.  A  small  ptTcentat^'e, 
however,  as  shown  in  tlie  article  on  our 
work  in  New  England,  are  in  the  Haptist 
Churches  of  tiiose  localities,  while  others, 
douhtlesR,  have  united  elsewhere,  unknown 
and  not  enumerated  .is  French  Canadian 
Baptists.  These  mission  (ields  and  the 
Feller  Institute  have  also  furnished  some 
excellent  laborers  amon^,'  the  French  in 
New  England.  Tiie  indirect  and  intangible 
results  of  this  work  are  incalculably  great. 
The  leaven  is  quietly  but  surely  leavening 
the  lump.  Such  a  mental  and  religious  fer- 
mentation as  is  now  going  on  in  Canada  has 
never  before  been  known.  All  this  is  not 
indeed  attributable  to  the  inthienceotCirande 
Ligne,  inasmuch  as  other  denominations, 
specially  the  Presbyterians  and,  to  some  ex- 
tent, tiie  Methodists,  have  had  a  part  therein, 
while  other  forces  have  contributed  to  this 
result.  Hence,  in  conclusion,  I  mention 
some  of 

The  EncourHgfliiK  InillcAtiojiR. 

The  educational  system  of  the  province, 
even  under  Catholic  control,  has  enabled 
the  rising  generation  to  read.  They  are 
reading.  As  reading  suggests  new  thoughts, 
they  are  thinking,  yes,  even  daring  to  think 
for  themselves.  Mental  and  moral  slavery 
was  their  condition.  From  this  they  are  be- 
ing gradually  emancipated.  Protestant  lit- 
erature is  finding  its  wrn  among  them.  One 
great  need  here,  as  in  New  England,  is 
more  of  thie  and  of  a  better  quality. 
And  they  are  reading  the  Scriptures.  In 
1891  the  branch  of  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society  at  Montreal  reported  grants 
and  sales,  mostly  of  the  New  Testament,  as 
follows:  English,  15,357  copies;  French, 
6,909;  in  1892,  English,  15,864;  French, 
2,761.  The  Quebec  branch  reported,  for  the 
same  period  :  English,  649  ;  French,  3,039. 
The  society  employs  quite  a  number  of  col- 
porteurs and  some  Bible  women.  Within 
the  last  three  years  a  Bible  woman,  ap- 
pointed by  the  Grande  Ligne  Mission,  has 
sold  and  judiciously  given  about  2,200  cop- 
ies of  the  Froncfi  Scriptures,  generally  the 
New  Testament. 

The  approved  Roman  Catholic  version  is 
ordinarily  used,  inasmuch  as  any  other,  in 
most  cases,  would  be  instantly  rejected  or 
destroyed.     Fruit  may  be  expected  of  this 


sowing,  fordod  has  said:  "  My  Word  siiall 
not  return  unto  me  void.' 

Tho  ChiihiIm  Itttvna. 

Besides  all  this,  recent  attacks  against  the 
Romish  hierarchy,  notably  the  bold  denun- 
ciation of  their  corru|>tion  and  tyranny  by 
the  Canada  NiTiie,  have  created  great  com- 
motion, have  shaken  tin-  faith  of  muititutles, 
have  broken  the  priestly  spell  over  the  peo- 
ple, and  so  arc-  preparing  the  way  for  some- 
thing better.  The  |)eril,  iiowever,  is,  as  was 
the  case  in  France  a  hundred  years  age,  that 
many,  throwing  off  the  Romish  yoke,  know- 
ing no  religion  but  that  of  Rome,  having 
been  taught  that  Protestantism  was  of  the 
devil,  will  piunge  into  open  intidility.  Care- 
ful ol)servers  even  now  perceive  iliis  teiul- 
ency.  Hence,  (piick  and  erieigetic  action  is 
demanded  of  all  for  the  evangelization  ot 
Canada  at  this  critical  period. 

Still  fuitlii'r:  the  vaulting  ambition  ot 
Romisii  priests  has  once  and  again  ovn- 
le.'iped  itself  and  i-reated  a  revulsion  ot  senti- 
ment and  revolt  against  them.  This  is  nota- 
bly illustrated  at  Maskinonge,  whore  the 
revolt  ot  an  influential  portion  of  the  i)arish 
attracted  wide  attention  as  an  unlitard-ot 
piece  of  audacity,  and  led  to  important 
results  to  the  cause  of  truth  and  righteous- 
ness.    In  short,  tiie  story  is  this  : 

The  Story  of  Masktiioiig;^. 

Miiskinontre  is  a  village  of  about  700  popu- 
lation, on  tlie  Can.'idian  Pacitic  Railway,  75 
miles  eatiof  Montreal.  The  Bisiiop  decided 
to  build  a  new  house  here,  the  old  one  bt'ing 
at  some  distance  from  the  town.  Residents 
on  the  east  side  of  the  river  gave  an  ample 
site,  which  was  accepted  and  consecrated  to 
church  purposes.  Afterward  more  land  was 
offereil  on  the  west  side.  Consulting  with 
none  ot  the  influential  men  on  the  east  siile, 
the  Bishop  proceeded  to  build  on  the  west 
side.  Remonstrance  availed  nothing.  In- 
dignation over  their  discourteous  and  dis- 
honorable treatment  was  imbounded.  They 
at  once  erected  a  house  on  the  first  location, 
and  asked  for  a  priest.  The  Bishop  refused 
their  request.  Nevertheless,  they  assembled 
for  worship  at  the  usual  hours.  The  day  for 
dedicating  the  magnificent  stone  structure 
directly  across  the  river  came,  but  two  or 
three  hundred  people  of  the  parish,  in- 
stead of  being  there,  were  in  the  east  side 
chapel. 


L\\ 


said  :  "  My  Wonl  simll 
i-oid.' 

iHdn  K«vn«> 

cent  attacks  a^jaiiist  tin 
lotably  tlif  hold  dciiiin- 
•uptioii  and  tyranny  liy 
lavc  created  j^Tcat  coni- 
itlie  taitli  of  niultitiides. 
cstly  siiell  over  the  peo- 
ariii)^  the  way  for  sonie- 
eril,  liDwever,  is,  as  was 

hundred  years  aye,  that 
tlie  Roinisli  yol<e,  know- 
that  of  Rome,  having 
-otestantisnj  was  of  the 
to  open  infidelity.  Care- 
now  perceive  this  tend- 
<  and  enernfetic  action  is 
)r  the  evangelization  ot 
•al  period. 

•  vaulting:  anil.ition  ot 
s  once  and  a^^ain  over- 
■ateda  revulsion  of  senti- 
liiirttthem.  This  is  nota- 
Maskinon},'e,  where  the 
tial  portion  of  the  parish 
•ntion   as  an    uidieard-ot 

and    led    to    important 
;  of  truth  and  rii^hteous- 

story  is  this  : 

of  MaskliioiiKe. 

■illai^e  of  about  700  popu- 
idian  Pacific  Railway,  75 
eal.     The  Hishop  decided 
;c  here,  the  olil  one  l)eing 
om  the  town.     Residents 
the  river  gave  an  ample 
;cpted  and  consecrated  to 
Afterward  more  land  was 
3t  side.     Consulting  with 
itial  men  on  the  east  siile, 
lied  to   build  on  the  west 
ice  availed   nothing.     In- 
jir  discourteous  and  dis- 
it  was  unbounded.     They 
louseon  the  first  location, 
iest.    The  Bishop  refused 
,'ertheless,  they  assembled 
usual  hours.     The  day  for 
ignificent  stone  structure 
:  river  came,  but  two  or 
;oplc    of    the  parish,   in- 
ere,  were  in  the  east  side 


THE   HOME   MISSTOX   MONTHLY, 


21 


A  I'rlaat'ii  Miiletllotlon. 

A  /caiouH  priest,  determined  toi)ring  them 
to  the  services,  (entered  the  iliiipel,  strtxle  to 
tlie  front,  and  after  an  impassioned  exhorta- 
tion, in  a  most  dramatic  marmer,  lifting  aloft 
the  crucifix,  exclaimed  :  "  Wliat  is  this  build- 
ing?    A    church.'     No.     A  chapel?      No. 
It  is  only  a  dog  kennel  !      Cursed  be  this 
iiouse  I      Cursed    be   this   ]ilace  !     Cursed  ! 
Cursed  !     Cursed  !"     Women   shrieked  and 
fainted.     To  all   Catiiolics   it  was  a  severe 
orileal.     Few,  iiowever,  left.     Men  of  mettle 
were  there— one,   the  ciiief  warden  of   the 
church,  the  leading  man  of  the  church  and 
the  community.     They  would  not   submit. 
What  nixt  ?     News  of  the  revolt  went  like 
wildtire.     In  July,  i89i,Rev.  Adam  Hurwash, 
one  of  the  Cirande  Ligne  missionaries  visit- 
ed the  place  and  tried  with  apparently  little 
success  to  show  these  men  the  better  way. 
A  few  weeks  later  they  asked  him  to  return. 
He  met  them  in  the  Chapellc  Maudite  (the 
cursed  chapel).    The  scales   began   to  fall 
from  their  eyes.     After  the  thunder-storm, 
light  broke  through  the  clouds  into  their  dark- 
ened hearts.    There  was  but  one  Protestant 
family  111  the  whole  parisli,  that  of  Mr.  Black, 
an  aged  Scotchman,  whose  kind,  generous, 
irreproachable  life  had  led  the  priest  to  com- 
mend  him   publicly  as  an  example  to   his 
flock.     Thfuigh  a  I'resbyterian,  his  influence 
direct  and  indirect  greatly  helped  the  move- 
ment.    Roman   Catholics   felt   that   Protes- 
tantism was  not  wholly  bad  if  it  |)roduced 
such    fruit.     Coiuictions   deepened.     Con- 
versions followed.     Rev.   Mr.  Bullock  and 
wife  were  sent  as  missionaries  to  the  field 
in  the  spring  of  1892.     August  2Sth,  1892,  in 
the  presence  of  a  large  com])any  of  Roman 
Catholics,  ten  men   and   one  woman  were 
baptized.     This  produced  a  profound  sensa- 
tion.    Tremendous   jjressure   was    brought 
to  bear  upt)n  the  secedcrs,  in  some   cases 
with   success,  to   bring   them    back    to   the 
Church.     '/Ut  these  baptized  converts,  whom 
1  met  and  addressed  Sunday  morning,  Sep- 
tember Z-,  '"■*-'  steadfast,    manly,  resolute  ; 
and    soon,    by   help    from   friends    of    the 
Grande   Ligne   Mission,   they   will    enter   a 
beautiful  Baptist  chapel,  with  a  parsonage 
adjoining,  the  whole  costing  about  $4,000. 
Directly  across  the  narrow  river  stands  the 
towering  stone  Roman  Cadiolic  edifice,  cost- 
ing about  $7S,ooo.     it  is  the  battle  over  again 
between  David  and  Goliath.     And  shall  not 
the  issue  be  the  same,  as  this  little  Baptist 


church,  slinging  straight  and  strong  tlie 
smooth  stones  ot  Gospel  truth,  shall  lay  low 
the  panoplied  anil  boastful  giant  ?* 

Tlia  Hplrlt  nf  Iiiilrpeiiilriirfi. 

This  case  is  a  striking  illustrition  of  the 
way  in  which  a  despotic  hierarchy  overdo 
their  business,  and  produce  alienation  from 
the  church.  The  spirit  of  independence  is 
asserting  itself — reverence  for  the  domineer- 
ing clergy  is  weakened.  When  Mr.  Marrh- 
and,  the  leading  man  in  the  Maskinonge 
church,  was  told  that  his  son,  who  is  a  priest, 
was  coming  to  prevail  upon  him  to  abide 
with  the  church,  hesaitl.  "I'll  let  him  know 
that  he  is  no  '  Father  '  to  me  ;  I'll  teach  Den- 
nis that  he  is  my  son."  One  member  has  a 
brother  who  is  a  priest,  who  has  written  let- 
ters all  to  no  purpose,  however,  but  to 
strengthen  him  in  the  new  faith.  One  result 
of  this  notable  affair  is  the  publication  of 
the  correspondence  lietween  the  priest  and 
others  on  the  Catiiolic  side  and  some  ot 
these  converts,  assisted  by  Rev.  Mr.  Ther- 
rien,  on  our  side.  It  has  been  widely  dis- 
seminated, awakening  great  interest  among 
Catholics  as  well  as  Protestants.  So  the  light 
is  breaking  into  the  darkness. 

It  was  my  privilege  to  enjoy  Mr.  Black's 
hospitality  while  at  Maskinonge.  He  is  an 
erect,  vigorous,  clear-headed,  large-hearted 
man  of  81  years.  For  eleven  years  he  has 
lived  here,  his  family  the  only  Protestant 
and  English-speaking  family  in  a  parish  of 
3,000  souls.  After  narrating  the  incidents 
of  this  alTair,  and  stating  what  pleasure  it 
had  al'f'ordedhim  to  offer  to  the  missionaries 
and  othcs  who  had  visited  the  place  the 
hospitalitv  of  his  home  in  lieu  of  the  mean 
hotel  wliere  inconvenience  and  insult  would 
have  been  their  lot,  he  said:  "I  have  often 
wondered  what  God's  ])urpose  nas  in  keep- 
ing me  here  these  years,  but  1  have  the  key 
to  it  now:  it  was  for  this  time  an<l  this 
work." 

I  might  multiply  illustrations  ot  the  i)oint 
under  consideration,  but  can  make  only 
passing  reference  toj.two  conspicuous  in- 
stances. At  the  time  I  was  in  Quebec  there 
was  another  great  sensation  in  religious 
circles.  Mr.  L.  J.  A.  Papineau,  son  of  the 
famous  orator  and  instigator  ot  the  rebel- 


*  Note.  —A  bell  for  the  Maskinong6  Chapel  is  shipped. 
It  will  bear  the  inscription:  "Proclaim  liberty  throughout  the 
land  to  all  the  inhabitants  thereof."  May  God  grant  that  it 
may  ring  out  the  new  evangel  for  Quebec. — Justin  D.  Fi;l- 
TON,  in  Can.  Baptist. 


22 


T II  E    II  0  M  E    M I  S  S I O  y    M  O  X  T 11  L  Y. 


lion  of  1837,  piihlidy  rcnounccHl  Romnnl^in 

and  nvownl  liimscif  a  I'risliytrriaii.  Tliis 
Http  was  taken  also  Ik  can  si-  tlio  ainl)itiou» 
clcr^jy  liail  dociiU'd  to  Imilil  an  ixprnsive 
lioiise  of  woi>liip,  tor  which  thire  was  no 
nt'CfSHily  ami  lor  whicli  hv  wan  to  hv  liiavily 
taxed.  Near  Cirandf  I.i>,'n<'  a  new  parish  has 
been  cut  out  ot  thri'L"  other  parislifs,  and 
under  protest  of  the  people  un  expensive 
Btone  fdiliic,  heavily  hunleniiiij  the  jx-oide, 
is  lieui^  tTtrtcd.     Do  tin  y  t;inuly  submit  ? 


GKNUUEAl'   iN   JAIL. 

By  no  means.  They  have  taken  (heir  case 
to  the  civil  courts,  where,  however,  they  can 
hardly  expect  justice  from  Romc;ii  Catholic 
judges  subservient  to  the  i)ries(s.  But  it 
shows  how  the  people  are  asserting  them- 
selves, how  the  democratic  spirit  is  animat- 
ing the  ranks  even  of  the  monarchical  Rom- 
ish Church.  All  this  is  hojjeful  lor  the 
cause  of  truth  and  righteousness. 

The  Sorel  I'erHeciitlon. 

The  outrageous  persecution  of  Mr.  Gen- 
dreau  in  Sorel,  a  city  about  45   miles  east  of 
Montreal,  is  also  bound  to  produce  a  reac 
tion  against  Rome.     The  Montreal  IVitness, 
a  staunch  and  fearless  Protestant  paper,  has 


spread  the  facts  before  the  coinUry  and  de- 
nounced the  travestry  on  justice.  This  man, 
for  twenty-live  years  a  colporteur  of  ('.rand 
I.igne,  atid  for  several  months  laboring  in 
•Sorel,  wiis  fal.sely  accused  of  disturbing  the 
public  peace  and  "iolating  a  city  by-law 
framed  to  drive  the  Salvation  Army  out  of 
the  place.  Thoiigh  he  \.as  ably  ikfiiuled, 
llie  l)igotLd  Roman  Catliolie  Recoiiler  inid 
thatdendreau  w.is  tlu'(i(<(/.v/V«  ol  the  trouble, 
adjudged  him  guilty,  im|)"sing  a  liiii'  with 
costs  amounting  to  $20,  or  30 
days  in  jail.  An  appcil  was 
taken.  I'ending  this,  oti  Mon- 
day afternoon,  September  3d, 
just  before  my  arrival  m  Sorel, 
he  was  arrested  on  some  fc(  Inii- 
callty  and  thrown  into  prison, 
where,  with  Brother  Cote,  I 
visited  him  Tuesday  h>reiioor., 
and  on  the  seconii  visit,  having 
got  the  services  of  a  photogra- 
pher and  the  consent  of  the 
jailer,  obtained  a  plHitogr;i|)h  of 
(iendreau  standing  by  the  ^f.-ited 
door  of  his  cell.  The  place  is 
one  ot  the  d.irkest,  most  bis^oted 
ill  the  |)rovince.  There  are 
barely  thirty  English-speaking 
families  in  a  Freiu;li-Catbolic 
population  of  7,000.  The  priest 
is  supriMiie.  Tlii' Chief  of-I'olice 
told  Brother  Cote  when  there 
was  talk  of  mobbing  his  resi- 
dence, that  in  case  it  occurred 
he  could  do  nothing  to  protect 
him,  saying:  "If  1  should  at- 
tempt t^j  protect  you,  such  is  ihe 
iiillueiice  of  the  priest,  I  wouid 
at  once  lose  my  posiiion  and 
would  be  compelled  to  go 
to  the  States."  Such  is  Roman  Catholic- 
ism where  it  is  regnant!  I  met  two  of 
the  leading'  lawyers  of  the  citv,  one  an 
Englishman,  the  other  French,  who  ;iii  act- 
ing in  behalf  of  Mr.  Gendreau,  though  ;ip- 
preliensive  of  loss  of  patronage  in  so  do- 
ing. The  French  lawyer,  a  loyal  Catholic, 
said  concerning  the  outrage  :  "  1  am  ashamed 
of  my  nationality,  ashamed  of  the  clergy." 
Others  feel  the  same  way  but  do  not  dare  to 
say  so.  Nobody  for  a  moment  siipjioscs 
that  a  Roman  Catholic  could  have  been  con- 
victed in  Sorel  for  doing  what  Brother  Gen- 
dreau did.  When  I  told  Gendreau  to  lie  of 
good  cheer,  that  the  Lord  would  overrule 


r. 


THK    TTOME    MTSSFON    MOyTHLY. 


'J3 


L'  the  country  and  lic- 
on  JuBticc   This  in;ir), 
I  colporttiir  i»t  (iiaiid 
I   niontlis  hilmrii)'^  in 
isnl  t»f  disturbing  the 
oiiitiiijj:   a   fity  iiv-iiiw 
iilviitiuM  Army  nut  nt 
lie  \.ai«  alily  ileftnded, 
itliolic  Rfcordcf   litld 
lUiit.sion  »>t  tlu"  tmulile, 
imp'>siiiK  a  lim-  with 
unitin)^  to   $20,   or  30 
jail.     An    appeal     was 
endin)^  tliis,  on    Mon- 
loon,    SepteniliiT    3d, 
e  my  arrival  111  Sorel, 
•I'sti-tl  on  sonic  tichni- 
1   tlirown    into    prison, 
•ith     Hrotli>r    Cote,     I 
\\\  Tuesilay  loreiiooi;, 
e  second  visit,  iiavin^^ 
jrvices  of  a  pliotoi,'ra- 
the    consent   of    tlie 
[lined  a  photof^raph  ot 
standing,' liy  the  ^rateil 
us  cell.     The  place  is 
.'  darkest,  most  liii^oteil 
)rovince.      There     are 
irty    Kni^^lish-spcakin^i 
in    a     l''reiicli-Catiiolic 
1  ot  7,000.      Till'  jiriest 
e.    TheChiel  ol-1'olice 
her  Cote    when    there 
of  mohhinij   his    resi- 
:it  in  case  it  occuneil 
do  nothing   to  protect 
nff :    "if    I    shouiil   at- 
irotectyou,  such  is  ihc 
of  the  priest,  I   wouiil 
lose  my   position    and 
)e    compelled     to     j^o 

1  is  Roman  Catholic- 
jnant !  1  met  two  of 
i  of  the  citv,  one  an 
Dr  French,  who  are  act- 

Gendreau,  thoui^h  ap- 
)f  patronage  in  so  do- 
wyer,  a  loyal  Catholic, 
utraj^e  :  "  I  am  ashamed 
liamcd  of  the  cleryy." 
way  but  do  not  dare  to 
ir  a  moment  supi)oses 
ic  could  have  been  con- 
ling  what  Brother  Gen- 
told  Gendreau  to  be  of 

2  Lord  would  overr'.le 


thin  to  llic  ndvancement  of  Mis  caunc  in 
Sorel,  and  that  his  itnprisonment  would  ac> 
complish  more  tlian  a  year's  ordinary  lal)or, 
for  all  whiih  lu'  should  sing  songs  in  the 
night  as  i'aul  and  Silas  did,  lie  answered,  us 
tears  tilled  his  eyes  juid  ours  :  "That  is  what 
I  did  last  niirht  -a  sleepless  night."  Watch 
for  great  things  yet  at  Sorel,  wliere  tlie  four- 
less,  energetic,  tactful  Cote  .ilrcaily  has 
gathered  a  goodly  number  of  eonvi-rts,  and 
where  the  spirit  of  iiupiiry  is  spreading.  All 
of  these  things  shall  fall  out  to  the  further- 
ance of  the  (iospel.  "The  wrath  of  man 
shall  praise  Him,  and  t!ie  remainder  thereof 
shall  Mc  restrain."* 

KiiroiirMglilK  HIkh*. 

Too  long  aluady  is  this  article.  Other 
grounds  of  encouragement,  save  one,  must 
pass  unmcntioned.  There  is  great  promise 
for  the  future  in  the  person nc/  ul  the  men 
now  composing  the  management  of  the 
mission  ;  in  the  te.ichers,  as  will  as  the 
more  thorough  work  <lone  at  Felkr  Insti- 
tute; and  particularly  in  the  younger  men 
whom  God  has  raised  up  as  ministers  of  the 
Gospel  to  take  the  places  ot  some  able  men 
who  have  fallen  and  of  others  who,  in  the 
order  of  nature,  must  soon  pass  away.  I 
cannot,  without  apparent  invitliousness,  give 
the  names  of  sfune  of  these  giftetl  brethren, 
who, by  common  consent,  possess  elements 
of  great  usefulness  in  this  important  field. 
Then,  too,  the  more  compact  denomina- 
tional organization  with  the  esprit  dii  corps 
incident  thereto  is  a  lioi)eful  indication. 
Still  further,  granting  all  that  may  be  said  of 
the  mild  and  gentle  metliods  hitherto  char- 
acteristic of  the  work  in  the  Grande  Ligne 
Mission,  there  is  a  feeling  anil  a  purpose, 
that  without  any  diminution  of  the  spirit  of 
love,  it  should  take  on  a  more  positive  and 
aggressive  type  in  the  great  conflict  now 
waging  and  in  these  stirring  times  in  Can- 
ada.    This,  too,  is  hopeful. 

Much  more  might  be  said.  Less  than  this 
could  not  well  be  said  in  order  to  give  a 
projKT  idea  of  the  work  of  the  mission. 
And  although  this  work  is  not  now  under 
the  Soci'jty's  auspices,  still,  because  of  its 
former  investment  herein,  and  because  all 
that  transpires  here  has  vital  relations  to  our 
work  among  the  F'rencli  in  the  I'nlted 
States,  we  find  justification  in  devoting  so 


*  Kecent  advices  announce  that  Brother  Gendreau's  excellent 
wife  h.is  just  died,  her  death  being  hasteiied,  if  not  caused,  by 
the  sulTering  brought  on  them  by  cruel  persecution. 


much  attention  to  tlic  iiub|cct.     I  close  with 
what  I  told  the  Grande  Ligne  brethren  ; 

"The  Society  made  an  investment  in  this 
mission  years  ago,  1  iiin  here  to  look  into 
It ;  to  see  what  iios  come  from  it.  I  am  Bat- 
istied  that  it  was  a  good  and  wise  invest- 
ment." H.  L.  M. 

The  Shame  of  Sorel. 

{To  the  h.litor  ,'/lhf  "  Witiust,") 

Sir  ;— As  field  Secretary  of  the  Ameri- 
can Baptist  Home  Mission  Society,  ot  N'ew 
York  City,  after  a  survey  of  our  French  Mis- 
sions in  New  rCngland  I  visited  the  Prov- 
ince of  Quebec,  anil  on  Monday,  tlu-  5tli  of 
Se|)teniber,  iirrived  in  Sorel  to  inijuirc  about 
the  arrest  of  Mr.  Gendreau,  of  which  I  had 
learned  through  the  Witness.  Judge  ol  my 
aina/eineiit  when  on  my  arnval,  .Monday 
evening,  I  was  told  he  was  in  prison,  put 
then;  by  the  authorities  of  Sorel  on  some 
technical  point  in  conne-ction  with  this  case — 
"falsely  im|)ris(»ned  "  as  a  leailing  lawyer  of 
the  place  believed.  Tuesday  morning,  with 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Cot",  I  called  on  Mr.  Gen<lrcaii 
in  jail,  in  the  ordinary  felon's  cell,  his  hard 
bed,  straw  pillow  and  scanty  coveriiiL;  pre- 
senting a  most  dismal  picture.  He  iiad 
slept  none  during  the  night.  Leaving  the 
prison  I  decided  that  a  photograph  should 
be  procured  of  him  in  prison.  In  this  I  suc- 
ceeded. It  is  an  impressive  object  lesson. 
My  blood  boiled  with  indignation  at  such 
treatment  of  a  servant  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  My  tho-.ights  fell  into  rhythmical 
form  as  follows  : 

THE   SIIA.MK   OK   SOREI,. 

A  horrililc  ihiiifj  'ncatli  the  sun  has  hei-n  dont, — 
Kn(;lish  jusiiic  |icrvcrtt'(l !     A  victory  won 
By  the  cjhorls  of  wrony;  !     The  forces  of  hell 
Have  covered  with  shame  the  name  of  Sorel. 

I  have  seen  it— the  shame  !    I  have  seen  in  his  cell 
In  the  gloomy,  cold  jail  in  the  city  Sorel, 
A  servant  of  Christ  snatched  away  from  his  home 
Throujjh  the  power,  indirectly,  ol  prelates  of  Rome, 

And  here,  on  tlie  sejuare,  I  have  stood  on  the  spot 
Where  the  crime  was  committed.     "The  crime, 

sir,  was  wliat  ?  " 
For  telling  God's  truth  in  a  mild,  peaceful  way. 
To  some  men  of  .Sorel  who  were  passing  that  d.iy. 

Most  falsely  accused!     Most  shamefully  trieil, 
Convicted,  miprisoneil  with  the  right  on  his  >iilc! 
O  Canada  free  !     There's  a  stain  on  thy  sod. 
An  egregious  wrong  that  cries  out  unto  God. 

True  men  of  Sorel !     Arise  in  your  might, 
lilot  out  the  disgrace,  this  outrage  on  right  ; 
For  wrong,  now  exultant,  ring  out  the  death  knell, 
Or  the  land  will  proclaim  the  shame  of  Sorel. 

H.  L.  Morehouse. 


fc_ 


24 


TEE   HOME   MISSION'   MONTHLY. 


The  French  Canadian  in  New  England. 

The  transplanting  ot  a  treelrom  the  dense 
forest  wlicre  it  has  received  ample  protec- 
tion, to  an  open  field,  in  different  soil  and 
fully  exposed  to  sun  and  wind  and  storm, 
tests  its  vitality   and    quality  ruid  produces 
marked  modifications  in  its  grappling  roots 
licncath  and  its  spreading  branches  above. 
Men,  like  trees,  are  affected  by  their  environ- 
ment.    How  is  the  French-Canadian  affected 
by  his  removal  from  a  dense  Roman  Catho- 
lic French  community  to  a  Protestant  New 
England    Village  ?      What    influences    are 
operating  to  keep  him  unaffected  by  his  new 
surroundings  pnd  to  what  extent  are  they 
successful  ?    Is  he  more  accessible  to  the 
truth  here,  than  in  Canada  }    Is  he  here  to 
stay  ?     If  so,  what  part  is  he  to  play  in  our 
civil  and  religious  affairs  ?    These  are  ques- 
tions of  deep  interest  to  American  Cliristians 

and  patriots. 

Their  Number. 

The   best  estimates    from   the  census  of 
1891  and  from  other  sources  show  997,596 
French-Canadians  in  the  United  States.    The 
difificulty  in  the  census  is  that  in  giving  the 
number  who  were  "  born  in  Canada,"  it  does 
not  state  whether  they  are  French  or  Eng- 
lish.   The  census  gives  205,671  in  New  Eng- 
land who  were  born  in  Canada.     The  Guide 
Frattiais,  prepared  by  Father    Hanion,   of 
Lowell,  Mass.,  gives  the  following  figures  of 
tlie     French-Canadian   populafion   of    New 
England  ;  Maine,  52,986  ;  New  Hampshire, 
47,682  ;    Vermont,    31,467  ;    Massachusetts, 
165,325  ;  Rhode  Island,  Z7,2,3?>  ;  Connecticut, 
27,598 — total,  362,396.     This    inckules,    un- 
doubtedly, the  children  born  here  of  French- 
Canadian  parents.      He  states  that  there  are 
about  100,000  more  in  Northern  New  York, 
Troy,    Syracuse,   etc.     Except    in    Northern 


expelled  and  others  fiedthe  country.     These 
settled  principally  in   Northern   New   York 
and  Vermont.     Thegreatinflux  began  about 
i860,  when  the  large  expansion  of  the  cotton 
manufacturing   interests   in    New   Englruul 
oeated  a  demand   for  more  lal)orcrs.    The 
high  prices  during  and  after  the  war  attracted 
many  who  were  making  only  a  bare  living 
on  their  farms  in  Quebec.  The  French-Cana*- 
dian  has  not  the  spirit  of  the  American  or 
file  German,  or  the  Scandinavian  to  become 
a  pioneer  in  felling  forests  and  developing 
new  country,  so  that  while  Canada  presented 
opportunities  for  new  settlers,  there  were 
iQw  to  take  up  new  lands.     The  social  and 
gregarious   instincts  of    the    French   were 
against  such  isolated  life  as  that  of  fiie  fron- 
tier. 

The  manufacturing  interests  of  Quebec 
are  small,  requiring  but  few  of  the  popula- 
tion. Besides  all  this,  there  was  no  litfie 
restlessness  on  account  of  the  intolerable 
exacfions  of  the  Romish  hierarchy  from 
which  they  saw  no  escape  but  by  emigra- 
tion. 


VtTmont,  where  some  arc  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  fiiey  are  concentrated 
chiefly  in  fiie  great  manufacturing  centres  of 
Ne.w  England  where  they  comprise  a  large 
per  cent,  ot  the  population.  Thus  Woon- 
socket,  R.  I.,  has  about  8,000  French,  and 
6,000  Irish  in  a  population  of  23.000.  Notices 
in  public  i)laces  are  in  French  and  English. 
Nashua,  N.  H.,  has  about  7,000  F'rench  in 
a  population  of  20,000,  and  Lewiston,  Me., 
12,000  in  26,000. 

When  and  Wliy  They  Came. 

The  first  noticeable  immigration  was  a  re- 
sult of  the  rebellion  of  1837  when  some  were 


At  first  they  came  for  a  temporary  sojourn, 
intending  to  return  after  they  had  bettered 
their  temporal   condition.      But,  with  good 
wages  their  residence  was  protracted.   Then 
with  increasing  numbers  of  fiieir  own   kin- 
dred  and  countrymen   they   were  less  and 
less  disposed  to  return.  The  civil  aufiiorities 
of  Quebec  endeavored  to  create  counter  at- 
tractions in   the  province  in  order  to  retain 
the  people  whose  exodus  gave  them  no  little 
concern  about  the  depletion  of   the  po|)ula- 
tion  of  the  province.      The  Roman  Catholic 
priesthood  also  endeavored  to  restrain  em- 
igration, fearing  that   their  parishioners   in 
Protestant   New  Englaiul   would    be  lost  to 
their  Church.    They  preyed  u])on  the  super- 
stitions and  fears  of  the  people,  selhng  holy 
amulets  and  charms  which  should   jjrotect 
the  soulsof  the  dear  people  from  the  malign 
influencet   lO  which  they  would  be  exijosed. 
Nevertheless,  the  people   went  in  a  steady 
stream  and  have  continued  to  come  until  fiie 
present  time.     How  long  this  influx  will  con- 
tinue  cannot  be  conjectured.     The   recent 
depression   in   manufacturing   interests  has 
temporarily  arrested  it  and  caused  many  out 
of  employment  to  return  awhile  to  Canada. 
But  the  superior  business  opportunities  and 
advantages  of  fiie  United  States  will  prove 
an    irresistible  attraction  to   thousands  for 
years  to  come. 


tic 


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in 

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in 

ec 

Ca 

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•>■'(, 

-: 

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Y. 


THE    HOME   MISSION    MONTHLY. 


25 


d the  country.  Tliese 
Nortlicrn  New  York 
■eat'infliix  hci^an  about 
xpansion  of  the  cotton 
sts  in  New  England 
•  more  laborers.  The 
after  the  war  attracted 
ng  only  a  bare  living 
iCC.  The  French-Cana- 
it  of  the  American  or 
andinavian  to  become 
)rests  and  developing 
'liile  Canada  presented 
V  settlers,  there  were 
jnds.  The  social  and 
of  the  French  were 
life  as  that  of  the  fron- 

;■  interests  of  Quebec 
)ut  few  of  the  popula- 
s,  there  was  no  little 
unt  of  the  intolerable 
mish  hierarchy  from 
escape  but  by  emigra- 

:)ra  temporary  sojourn, 
itter  they  had  bettered 
ition.      But,  with  good 
;  was  protracted.   Then 
bers  of  their  own   kin- 
2n   they  were  less  and 
•n.  The  civil  authorities 
:d  to  create  counter  a*- 
•ince  in  order  to  retain 
)dus  gave  them  no  little 
eplction  of  the  popula- 
The  Roman  Catholic 
avored  to  restrain  em- 
t   their  parishioners   in 
'\m\k\  woukl   be  lost  to 
preyed  upon  the  super- 
the  people,  selhng  holy 
,  which  shoukl   jjrotect 
people  from  the  malign 
they  would  be  exposed. 
2opie   went  in  a  steady 
tinned  to  come  until  the 
long  this  inllux  will  con- 
njectured.     The   recent 
ufacturing   interests  has 
it  and  caused  many  out 
•eturn  awhile  to  Canada, 
siness  opportunities  and 
Jnited  States  will  prove 
iction  to  thousands  for 


Here  to  Stay. 

It  is  a  generally  recognized  fact  both  in 
Canada  and  in  New  England  that  the  French 
Canadians  are  here  to  stay.  They  are  not 
merely  laborers  in  the  cotton  mills,  woolen 
mills  and  other  manufactories  ;  they  are 
entering  into  many  branches  of  Lusincss  and 
thus  permanently  establishing  themselves. 
In  these  lines  of  business  they  can  rely  gen- 
erally upon  the  patronage  of  their  country- 
men. A  glance  through  the  Guide  Francais, 
a  volume  of  956  pages, giving  the  names  and 
the  business  of  French  Canadians  in  the 
United  States,  shows  how  they  are  rooting 
themselves  in  the  business  world.  In  some 
cities  there  is  a  "  French  Quarter,"  solidly 
French  ;  a  community  by  itself,  where  the 
people  may  feel  as  much  at  home  as  in  any 
city  of  Quebec. 

NattirHliziitloii  and  l>oIitic8. 

For  years  the  influence  of  the  Romish 
clergy  was  thrown  against  the  naturalization 
of  French  Canadians.  They  hoped  for  their 
return  to  Canada  in  the  interests  of  "  New 
France."  At  last,  however,  they  have  sub- 
mitted to  the  inevitable  and  "as  wise  as  ser- 
pents" are  advocating  their  naturalization  in 
the  interests  of  the  Church  in  New  England. 

The  Quebec  Chronicle,  during  my  visit  to 
Quebec,  the  last  of  August,  contained  a  strik- 
ing editorial  on  this  subject.  It  says  :  "  The 
stand  taken  at  the  French  Canadian  Conven- 
tion in  favor  of  naturalization,  with,  at  the 
same  time,  a  definite  policy  of  parochial  or- 
ganization, and  the  use  of  the  French  lan- 
guage in  the  family  and  social  circle,  is  dis- 
tincdy  on  the  lines  of  Father  Hamon's  advice 
in  his  report  on  the  French  Canadians  of  new 
England.  Having  found  the  repatriation 
movement  a  failure,  those  who  had  succeed- 
ed in  the  United  States  refusing  to  return  to 
Canada,  while  the  thriftless  ones  who  ac- 
cepted helji  to  that  end  were  often  inauvais 
sujets  who  did  no  credit  to  dieir  country 
(native  or  adopted),  or  to  Uiemselves,  he  has 
eml)raced  the  only  alternative.  In  fact,  resid- 
ence for  a  certain  number  of  years  in  the 
United  States  has  generally  the  effect  of  so 
transJorniing  Jean  Baptiste,  for  better  or 
worse,  that  the  ties  of  sympathy  which  bound 
him  to  his  former  home  are  frequently  rup- 
tured irreparably.  When  he  returns,  he 
finds  himself  in  a  milieu  from  which  he  is 
estranged  ;  his  early  dignity  and  politeness 
liave  given  place  to  a  sort  of  spurious  smart- 
ness and  the  free   and  easy  manners  of  his 


later  associates,  and  a  state  of  things  which 
was  once  good  enough  for  him  has  become 
intolerable.  There  are,  of  course,  excep- 
tions ;  the  new  environment  sometimes 
brightening  the  intellect  while  leaving  what 
is  most  pleasing  in  character  and  manner 
unimpaired.  In  this  case,  the  alienation,  if 
less  strongly  experienced,  will  be  equally 
deep-seated  and  virtually  invincible.  This 
was  Father  Hamon's  experience  tuiil  he  be- 
came tired  of  attempting  the  impossible." 

Rome  in  Politics. 

With  Quebec  secure  for  Rome,  85  percent, 
of  the  population  being  Roman  Catholic,  the 
clergy  perceive  that  they  may  utilize  this 
French  Canadian  element  in  New  England 
lor  their  Church  there.  And  as  Rome  every- 
where is  in  politics  slie  wants  them  as  a 
power  to  promote  her  interests  through  this 
channel.  So  the  process  of  naturalization 
goes  on  rapidly.  It  is  stated  that  in  1887  there 
were  in  New  England  16,806  French  Cana- 
dian voters  ;  in  1889,  28,465  ;  in  1891,  33,663. 
The  fresh  impetus  recently  given  to  the  nat- 
uralization of  this  people  will  greatly  swell 
the  number  of  voters  in  the  years  to  come. 
It  is  pointed  out  that  even  now,  in  every  New 
England  State  except  Vermont,  die  sohd 
French  vote  holds  the  balance  of  power  if 
turned  from  one  party  to  the  odier.  In  die 
last  election  in  Massachusetts  the  French 
Canadians  voted  widi  die  Democratic  party, 
mainly  on  account  of  their  prejudice  against 
the  McKinley  bill,  which  is  most  unpopular 
in  Canada.  In  several  cities  these  voters  are 
so  numerous  that  no  man  can  be  elected 
who  is  not  acceptable  to  them.  Singularly 
enough,  however,  the  French  and  Irish 
Catholics,  though  of  the  same  faith,  do  not 
always  pull  together  in  politics,  the  Irish, 
with  their  remarkable  propensity  for  office 
and  for  ruling  everybody  but  t'lemselves, 
generally  getting  the  lion's  sliare,  even 
though  in  the  minority.  But  when  any  im- 
l)ortant  issue  arises,  in  which  the  Romish 
Church  is  interested,  they  will  all  pull  to- 
gether at  the  behest  of  the  hierarchy. 

Nun-Assiiuilatlon. 

It  is  the  definite  and  earnest  policy  of  the 
Romish  hierarchy  to  preserve  here  the 
French  Canadians  as  a  distinct  people,  in 
respect  to  race,  language  and  religion.  The 
Montreal  Herald  oi  August  29th,  contained 
an  interview  with  ex-Premier  Mercier,  soon 
after  his  return  from   the  French-Canadian 


k 


26 


THE   HOME   MISSION   MONTHLY. 


Convention  in  Ciiicafjo.  There  was  present 
also  Dr.  Fontaine,  of  Worcester,  Mass.,  Sec- 
retary of  the  Convention,  who  was  asked 
this  question :  "  Is  the  French  language 
maintained  in  its  entirety  and  the  Catholic 
religion  and  tiie  traditions  of  your  race  pre- 
served as  jealously  as  here  ?" 

He  answered  :  "Yes,  indeed!  In  fact,  we 
cling  more  tenaciously  to  our  birthright  than 
if  we  were  at  home.  We  have  our  own  par- 
ish schools,  as  you  have  here,  and  our  chil- 
dren speak  both  languages." 

The  Bishop  of  Springfield,  Mass.,  recently 
said  :  "The  best  method  by  which  the  Can- 
adians may  preserve  their  faith  is  to  conserve 
their  language,  (o  remain  attached  to  their 
customs,  and  to  instruct  their  children  in 
the  maternal  tongue." 

A  Close  RomUIi  Corporation. 

"Our  language,  our  nationality,  our  reli- 
gion," is  the  motto  of  the  St.  Jean  Baptiste 
Society,  which  has  two  hundred  local  or- 
ganizations and  thirty  thousand  members 
among  the  French-Canadian  Roman  Catho- 
lics of  this  land.  This  is  a  close  Romish 
corporation.  The  Chaplain  must  be  a  priest. 
If  a  French-Canadian  becomes  a  Protestant 
he  is  thereby  debarred  from  social  or  cor- 
porate privileges  among  his  countrymen  as 
if  his  presence  were  contamination.  As  the 
Quebec  Chronicle  says  :  "  The  clergy  know 
that  if  they  divorced  religion  from  national- 
ity and  admitted  to  convention  and  other 
privileges  any  French-Canadian,  whatever 
his  creed,  their  influence  would  soon  wane 
and  ultimately  even  the  sentiment  of  race 
would  yield  to  the  overmastering  force  of 
environment,  as  it  has  done  m  the  case  of 
all  Protestants  of  French  origin  who  made 
their  homes  in  the  United  States."  Accord- 
ingly Father  Hamon,  in  his  book  on  the 
French-Canadians  in  New  England,  warns 
them  against  "the  dangers  of  assimilation," 
fervently  exhorting  them  to  remain  true  to 
their  old  race  and  religious  traditions;  the 
vision  of  independent  Quebec  or  "  New 
France"  still  floating  before  his  mind,  and 
the  hope  that  somehow  in  that  future  day 
these  unassimilated  French-Canadians  in 
New  England  may  become  allies  in  the  fur- 
therance of  a  great  Church-and-State  scheme 
on  the  continent  of  North  America. 

French  Itoiuanlsni  in  New  KuglunU, 

According  to  Roman  Catholic  statistics 
the   French-Canadian   Roman   Catholics   in 


1891  numbered  302,659.  Dioceses  for  this 
people  have  been  established  in  every  State 
in  New  England.  There  are  distinct 
churches  for  the  French  and  for  the  Irish. 
A  recent  writer  in  Harper's  Magazine  has 
compiled  the  facts  as  follows  :  In  1891  Ver- 
mont had  8  French-Canadian  parishes  and 
18  mixed  (/.  e.,  French  and  English);  in  the 
diocese  of  Springfield,  22,  and  10  mixed  ;  in 
the  diocese  of  Providence,  14,  and  4  mixed  ; 
in  the  diocese  of  Connecticut,  5,  and  26 
mixed  ;  in  the  archdiocese  of  Boston,  9,  and 
6  mixed  ;  in  the  diocese  of  Portland,  17,  and 
8  mixed. 

luterentiHg  Figures. 

Father  Hamon  states  that  they  have  built 
in  twenty  years  120  churches  or  chapels, 
served  hy  Canadian  priests  ;  50  great  con- 
vents where  the  religieuses  from  Canadti 
give  to  30,000  children  an  education  that  is 
Catholic  and  French.  From  the  Giiidi 
Francais  I  obtained  these  figures :  There 
are  27  priests  in  the  diocese  of  Boston,  in- 
cluding Lowell  (with  7),  Haverhill,  Marl- 
boro, Lawrence  and  Lynn.  In  the  diocese 
of  Providence  there  are  in  Fall  River  alone, 
II  priests;  in  Woonsocket,  5  priests.  In 
Fall  River  a  cathedral  is  being  ertcted  at  a 
cost  of  about  half  a  million  dollars.  The 
number  and  imposing  appearance  of  church 
buildings,  schools,  convents,  asylums,  etc., 
was  to  me  a  surprise.  French-Canadian 
Romanism  is  already  strongly  entrenched 
in  New  England.  And  Irom  the  Protestant 
element  no  small  sums  have  been  procured 
for  the  erection  of  these  costly  structures. 
For  business  and  ^  rofessional  men  as  well 
as  politicians  are  given  to  understand  that  if 
they  do  not  contribute  for  these  objects  they 
need  not  expect  the  patronage  of  French 
Catholics. 

Koine  Couflflent. 

There  are  several  weekly  papers  in  French 
published  in  New  England  by  men  who, 
though  liberal  in  their  views,  find  it  pecuni- 
arily advantageous  to  keep  in  favor  with  the 
Romish  Church  and  to  denounce  Protest- 
ant missionaries  among  the  French.  So 
Rome  has  her  forces  well  in  hand  and  by 
every  possible  means  intends  to  retain  her 
hold  upon  them.  The  French  Roman 
Catholics  are  about  one-third  of  the  adher- 
ents of  that  Church  in  New  England — the 
whole  number,  according  to  the  latest  sta- 
tistics that  I  find,  being  1,005,005  ;  of  winch 
Maine   has  57,548  ;  Massachusetts,  614,627  ; 


hii 


TEE   HOME   MISSION    MONTHLY. 


27 


Dioceses  tor  this 
lislied  in  every  State 
riiere  are  distinct 
li  and  for  the  Irisli. 
■per's  Magazine  has 
•Hows:  In  1891  Ver- 
aadian  parishes  and 
and  Englisli);  in  the 
22,  and  10  mixed  ;  in 
ice,  14,  and  4  mixed  ; 
inecticut,  5,  and  26 
ese  of  Boston,  9,  and 
J  of  Pordand,  17.  and 

Figures. 

s  that  they  have  built 
:hurclies  or  chapel?, 
nests  ;  50  great  con- 
•rieuses  from  Canaila 

an  education  that  is 

From    the    Guidi 

:hese   figures:   There 

iocese  of  Uoston,  in- 

7),   Haverhill,    Marl- 
.ynn.      In  the  diocese 
re  in  Fall  River  alone, 
ocket,    5   priests.      In 
is  being  ertcted  at  a 
million  dollars.      The- 
;  appearance  of  church 
nvents,  asylums,  etc., 
se.      French-Canadian 
f  strongly  entrenched 
[id  from  the  Protestant 
IS  have  been  procured 
lese  costly  structures, 
fcssional  men  as  well 
■n  to  understand  that  if 
e  for  these  objects  they 
;  patronage  of  French 

>oufl(lent. 

-eckly  papers  in  French 
England  by   men   who, 
ir  views,  find  it  pecuni- 
5  keep  in  favor  with  the 
1   to  denounce  Protest- 
nong  the  French.      So 
s  well  in  hand  and  by 
IS  intends  to  retain  her 
The     French   Roman 
one-third  of  the  adher- 
1  in  New  England— the 
Drding  to  the  latest  sta- 
ging 1,005,005  ;  of  which 
Massachusetts,  614,627  ; 


I 


New  Hampshire,  39,920 ;  Vermont,  42,810  ; 
Rhode  Island,  96,755  ;  Connecticut,  152,945. 
And  yet,  notwithstanding  the  efforts  put 
forth  to  keep  this  people  isolated,  American 
ideas  and  the  free  spi-it  of  this  land  find 
entrance  to  their  minds  and  hearts  and  are 
effecting  considerable  modifications  of  char- 
acter. The  rising  generation  especially  will 
show  the  difference  between  the  French- 
Canadian  of  the  United  States  and  the  fossil 
French  of  Quebec.  Of  this  more  will  be 
said  in  the  article  on  our  missionary  work 
among  them. 

The  Future. 

What  of  their  future  ?  M.  Mercier  in- 
dulges in  some  characteristically  extrava- 
gant figures  about  their  coming  numliers 
and  influence.  Making  his  calculations, 
presumably,  on  the  ratio  of  increase  during 
a  little  more  than  a  century,  he  beholds  a 
great  host  within  a  half  a  century.  In  1763 
there  were  about  70,000  French  in  Canada  ; 
while  now  in  Quebec  tliere  are  not  far  from 
1,200,000  and  nearly  1,000,000  in  the  United 
States.  So  he  reckons  that  in  fifty  years 
they  will  number  9,000,000  in  Canada,  and 
15,000,000  in  the  United  States.  That  the 
hierarchy  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
count  upon  this  wonderfully  prolific  people 
to  out-po]Hilate  the  native  American  Pro- 
testant stock,  is  well  known.  But  we  do  not 
believe  that  this  distinctive  population  will 
attain  such  proportions,  for  it  must  melt 
away  continually  in  contact  with  the  trutli 
which  is  finding  an  entrance  to  their  hearts. 
We  are  warranted  in  believing  this,  even 
though  present  changes,  naturally  enough, 
are  not  marked.  In  any  event,  here  is,  and 
here,  for  a  generation  at  least,  will  continue 
to  be  a  great  and  needy  field  for  Christian 
effort.     And  he  who  aids  in  this  serves  both 

his  country  and  his  God. 

H.  L.  M. 

Baptist  Missions  to  tlie   French  in  the 
United  States. 

Baptists  were  first  to  put  forth  organized 
effort  for  the  evangelization  of  the  French  in 
the  United  States.  The  American  Baptist 
HOMi  Mission  Society,  while  assisting  the 
Grande  Ligne  Mission  of  Canada,  in  1853,  ap- 
pointed a  missionary  to  the  French  at  Mooer's, 
Clinton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  near  the  Canadian  border. 
In  1859  and  i860  other  missionaries  were  ap- 
pointed to  Sugar  Creek  and  St.  Anne,  Ills., 
and  in  '863,  at  Detroit,  Mich.      The   Society 


began  its  vrork  in  New  England  in  1870.  The 
Congregationalists  and  Methodists  followed  sev- 
eral years  later.  In  1875  a  missionary  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  European  French  at  Stryker, 
Ohio,  where  now  is  a  good  self-aupporting 
church.  Others  were  appointed  to  a  large 
French  settlement  in  Mulberry,  Kansas,  in 
1888;  and  to  Western  Pennsylvania  in  1890. 

New  Knglnud. 

The  principal  work  has  been  among  the 
French  Canadians  of  New  England.  The 
first  missionary  there  was  Rev.  Narcisse  Cyr, 
who,  from  1870  to  1873,  in  his  capacity  as  gen- 
eral missionary,  labored  at  Rutland,  Burling- 
ton and  St.  Albans,  Vt. ;  Haverhill,  Salem, 
Worcester,  Springfield,  Lowell  and  Fall  River, 
Mass.;  Concord  and  Manchester,  N.  H.; 
Woonsocket  and  Pawtucket,  R.  I.;  Baltic, 
Conn.;  and  Cohoes,  N.  Y.  In  1873  the  Soci- 
ety appointed  Rev.  J.  N.  Williams,  who  had 
been  one  of  its  laborers  in  Canada,  as  general 
missionary  to  the  French  in  New  England. 
His  residence  in  Canada  from  early  youth,  his 
education  at  Grand  Ligne,  his  knowledge  of 
the  French  language  and  his  understanding  of 
the  French-Canadian  character,  together  with 
his  ability,  wisdom  and  devout  Christian  spirit 
have  made  him  an  invaluable  laborer  among 
this  people  for  the  past  twenty  years.  The 
story  of  his  conversion  '  -\d  the  striking  inci- 
dents in  connection  therewith  are  of  profound 
interest. 

Special  Fields. 

The  cities  and  districts  where  most  work  has 
been  done  are  Montgomery,  Enosburg  and 
Burlington,  Vt.;  Lowell,  Fall  River,  Worcester 
and  vicinity,  Holyoke,  Springfield,  Boston, 
Marlboro,  Lynn  and  the  Westfield  Association, 
Mass.;  Woonsocket  and  adjacent  places,  R.  I.; 
Putnam  and  Danielsonville,  in  Ea'^tern  Con- 
necticut; Nashua,  N.  H.;  Waterville  and  Lew- 
iston,  Maine.  Many  other  places  have  been 
visited  and  cultivated  to  a  greater  or  less  ex- 
tent. The  work  in  Vermont,  which  nt  one 
time  seemed  very  hopeful,  w;is  suspended  sev- 
eral years  ago.  In  the  other  States,  at  mostot 
the  places  named,  missionaries  are  laboring 
with  gratifying  results.  The  number  of  mis- 
sionaries now  in  the  service  of  the  Society  is 
fourteen.     Some  of  these  have  several  preai  h- 

ing  stations. 

Partial  BesultH. 

The  Society's  missionaries  have  reported  the 

baptism  of  769  French-Canadian  converts  from 

Romanism.      It  is  believed  that  others  have 


28 


THE    HOME    Mission    MONTHLY. 


been  baptized  by  pastors  of  American  churches, 
and  that  a  goodly  number  of  children  of 
French- Canadian  parentage  have  also  become 
members  of  our  c\  urches ;  so  that  it  may  be  a 
safe  statement  to  say  that  at  lenst  1,000  French- 
Canadians  have  been  added  to  the  Baptist 
churches  of  New  England,  upon  profession  of 
f.iilh  and  baptism  ;  while  a  considerable  num- 
ber beside  have  come  from  the  churches  of  l!ie 
Grande  Ligne  Mission.  The  present  number 
connected  with  our  mission  stations  is  a  little 
less  than  five  hundred.  W^Tterville  reports  90; 
Worcester,  55  ;  Lowell,  47  ;  several  other  places 
from  20  to  35,  and  scattered  members  else- 
where. 

Our  Policy. 

The  Society's  policy  has  been  to  bring  the 
French  converts  in  close  relations  with  the 
American  churches ;  rather  than  to  organize 
independent  French  Baptist  churches.  Their 
unfamiliarity  with  Baptist  principles  and 
usn;4cs ;  their  instability  of  residence  ;  their 
need  of  counsel  and  sympathy,  and  of  aid  as 
well,  in  maintaining  public  worship,  are  some 
of  the  reasons  in  support  of  this  policy. 
Where,  however,  we  have  a  goodly  number 
who  are  permanent  residents  and  who  have 
been  faithful  members  for  years,  as  at  Water- 
ville,  Me.,  and  Worcester,  Mass.,  there  are 
"  branch  churches  "  of  French-Canadians. 
These  last  named  have  good  houses  of  worship 
in  which  they  hold  regular  services  on  Sunday 
and  during  the  week.  But  the  American 
churches,  either  directly  or  through  a  judicious 
committee,  act  upon  the  reception  of  French 
converts  who  become  members  thereof,  even 
though  they  have  a  branch  church  with  almost 
the  same  privileges,  in  other  respects,  as  an 
independent  body.  At  Woonsocket,  and  per- 
haps elsewhere,  the  French  brethren  are  rep- 
resented by  one  of  their  number,  as  a  deacon 
in  the  American  church  to  which  they  all  be- 
long. This  seems  to  be  a  desirable  arrange- 
ment wherever  good  men  can  be  found  for  the 
office  In  all  cases,  separate  services  in  French 
are  held  ;  sometimes  in  lectuie-rooms  of  Bap- 
tist churches;  sometimes  in  rented  halls;  in 
one  instance  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  rooms. 

Anotlipr  Policy. 

The  Congregationalists  adopted  the  policy  of 
organizing  separate  French-Canadian  churches 
wherever  practicable.  The  idea  was  rather 
populir  among  the  French  and  for  a  time 
seemed   successful,  but   in   the   long   run,   as 


nearly  as  I  can  ascertain,  it  has  not  met  their 
expectations.     They  have  also  built  several  ex- 
pensive and  attractive  houses  of  worship. 
*>ur   NeedH. 

Chapels  are  needed  for  our  work  at  Lowell 
and  at  two  or  three  other  points  where  our 
French  brethren  are  compelled  to  meet  in  un- 
tidy and  unattractive  halls. 

Sunday-schools  are  held  separately  where  a 
sufficient  number  of  French  children  can  be 
gathered  and  competent  teachers  obtained. 
But  the  lack  of  good  Sunday-school  literature 
in  French  is  a  hindrance  to  this  work.  Then, 
too,  the  children,  generally,  having  some 
knowledge  of  the  English  language,  prefer  to 
attend  the  large  and  attractive  Sunday-schools 
in  the  American  churches.  For  the  older  per- 
sons who  do  not  understand  much  English, 
classes  in  P'rench  are  provided.  Not  many 
children  outside  of  the  families  of  our  French 
converts  can  be  got  into  the  Sunday-school. 
Roman  Catholic  mothers  and  priests  are  very 
vigilant  to  keep  the  children  from  attending 
Protestant  services. 

Ikluslc  In  Worship. 

Considerable  attention  is  given  to  inusic  in 
public  worship  and  in  the  devotional  meetings. 
There  are  several  evangelical  hymn  books  in 
French,  including  a  selection  from  "  Gospel 
Hymns."  The  congregational  singing  at 
Worcester  is  excellent.  At  Waterville  there 
is  a  very  good  choir.  Good  music  o*"  this  char- 
acter has  its  attractions  for  a  people  of  musical 
tastes,  but  for  whom  the  Romish  Church  pro- 
vides no  congregational  singing.  The  hymns 
and  tunes  of  our  Protestant  churches  are  to 
the  Romanist  a  pleasing  novelty. 

ClinrHcter  of  the  Convrrtfi. 

When  a  man  leaves  the  Romish  Church 
which  has  been  his  religious  home  from  birth, 
and  through  which  only,  as  he  has  been  told 
times  without  number,  is  salvation  possible; 
when  he  turns  his  back  on  all  its  rites  and  cer- 
emonies, and  counts  for  nothing  its  ancient 
traditions  and  glory,  to  identify  himself  with  a 
Baptist  church  — the  very  opposite  of  Roman- 
ism— the  act  must  be  most  radical  and  revolu- 
tionary. As  we  shall  see  later  on,  it  means 
social  ostracism,  persecution  and  perhaps  pov- 
erty, and  often  domestic  discord.  So  far  as 
this  world  is  concerned  he  has  everything  to 
lose  and  little  or  nothing  to  gain  by  such  a 
step.  Strong  convictions  of  duty,  therefore, 
are  behind  such  a  change.       Hence,  the  con- 


THE    HOME   MISSION    MONTHLY. 


29 


it  has  not  met  their 
also  built  several  ex- 
>es  of  worship. 

r  our  work  at  Lowell 

r  points  where  our 

pelled  to  meet  in  un- 

l  separately  where  a 
ich  children  can  be 

teachers  obtained, 
day-school  literature 
to  this  work.  Then, 
rally,    having    some 

language,  prefer  to 
ctive  Sunday-schools 
.  For  the  older  per- 
tand  much  English, 
•ovided.  Not  many 
milies  of  our  French 
the   Sunday-school. 

and  priests  are  very 
Idren  from  attending 

Vorttliip. 

is  given  to  music  in 
;  devotional  meetings, 
gelical  hymn  books  in 
lection  from  "Gospel 
egational  singing  at 
At  Walcrville  there 
ood  music  o<"  this  char- 
for  a  people  of  musical 
:  Romish  Church  pro- 
singing.  The  hymns 
:stant  churches  are  to 
;  novelty. 

;Iie  Cimvertd, 

;  the  Romish  Church 
gious  home  from  birth, 
r,  as  he  has  been  told 

is  salvation  possible  ; 
on  all  its  riles  and  cer- 
)r   nothing  its   ancient 

identify  himself  with  a 
ry  opposite  of  Roman- 
lost  radical  and  revolu- 

see  later  on,  it  means 
:ution  and  perhaps  pov- 
tic  discoid.  So  far  as 
1  he  has  everything  to 
ling  to  gain  by  such  a 
ions  of  duty,  therefore, 
ige.      Hence,  the  con- 


verts generally  are  very  decided  Chiistians. 
Perhaps  their  earliest  inclination  is  to  denounce 
the  church  which  so  lontj  deceived  and  kent 
them  in  ignorance  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Christ. 
This  is  natural.  Then,  too,  as  a  missionary 
said:  "  It  is  often  easier  to  get  them  out  of 
Rome  than  to  get  Rome  out  of  them." 
r  I'edobiiptlHt  A<lvant»K<'. 

It  is  a  much  easier  matter  for  a  Roman 
Catholic  to  become  a  member  of  a  Pedoba'p- 
tist  than  of  a  Baptist  church,  inasmuch  as 
some  of  our  Pedobaptist  friends  recognize  the 
validity  of  infant  baptism  administered  by  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  and  do  not  in=ist 
upon  the  baptism  of  converts  on  profession  of 
their  faith  in  Christ.  And,  forsooth,  why 
should  they  not  recognize  it  ?  For,  did  not 
Pedobaptist  churches  get  infant  baptism  from 
Rome  rather  than  from  the  word  of  God  ? 

But  when  a  convert  unites  with  a  Baptist 
church  he  must  make  the  usual  public  confes- 
sion of  his  faith  in  scriptural  baptism,  the  spir- 
itual significance  of  which,  as  the  burial  of  the 
old  man  of  sin  and  the  rising  to  newness  of 
life,  is  strongly  emphasized.  This  is  the  cross- 
ing of  the  Rubicon.  I  was  gratified  to  learn 
how  careful  and  thorough  our  missionaries  are 
in  their  examination  of  those  who  apply  for 
membership. 

Truth   Seekero. 

As  these  converts  are  at  once  compelled  to 
meet  the  arguments  and  objections  of  Roman 
Catholics,  they  become  earnest  seekers  after 
truth  in  order  to  give  a  reason  to  those  who 
ask  it  for  the  hope  that  is  in  them.  Accepting 
the  Bible  instead  of  the  Church  as  final  author- 
ity they  are  accustomed  to  test  all  things  by  a 
'•  Thus  Hiiith  Ihe  Lord." 

From  what  I  learned  and  saw,  I  am  satisfied 
that  our  French-Canadian  brethren  in  New 
England  are  earnest,  devoted  Christians;  com- 
paring favorably  with  our  American  brethren. 
Among  them  are  men  and  women  of  intelli- 
gence and  refinement;  a  few  by  reason  of  pre- 
vious advantages,  but  others  because  their  in- 
tellectual as  well  as  their  spiritual  powers  have 
been  wondei  fully  quickened  by  the  Spirit  and 
the  Word  of  God.  I  was  at  a  meeting  of  our 
French  brethren  in  Worcester,  Mass.,  when 
Mr.  Loiselle  was  baptized.  He  was  educated 
for  the  priesthood  but  turned  aside  from  that 
for  a  successful  business  career.  For  several 
years  he  had  been  a  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church,  but  after  a  long  battle  with  his 
convictions,  at  last  yielded  and  was  baptized 


by  Bro.  Williams.  The  intelligent  con;^rega- 
tion  present,  the  freedom  and  force  with  which 
many  spoke  and  prayed,  showed  growth  in 
grace  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  Of  the  church  in  Waterville,  Me., 
where  I  spent  a  Sunday,  the  same  can  be  said. 

Most  of  the  members  are  converts  from  the 
French  in  New  England.  From  ca.eful  in- 
quiry I  find  not  more  than  twelve  per  cent,  of 
the  number  from  the  Grande  I.ij;ne  Mission 
churches.  This  was  something  of  a  surprise  to 
me,  for  instead  of  fifty  or  thereabouts,  I  had  sup- 
posed there  were   two  or  three  times  as  many. 

At  Nashua,  N.  H.,  I  met  an  intelligent  lady, 
the  granddaughter  of  the  eminent  French 
general,  Lafayette.  She  and  members  of  her 
family  recently  came  out  and  united  with  the 
Baptist  Church.  As  the  General  helped  the 
United  States  to  achieve  their  national  inde- 
pendence, his  descendant  is  now  enlisted  in  the 
crusade  here  to  emancipate  her  countrymen 
from  the  spiritual  tyranny  of  Rome. 

MisNionarleB ;   and  Ihe  French  Department  Ht 
Newton. 

Of  the  fourteen  missionaries  under  appoint- 
ment in  New  England,  six  were  formerly  stu- 
dents at  Feller  Institute,  Canada.  These  are 
brethren  J.  N.  Williams,  F.  X.  Smith,  E. 
Leger,  G.  Aubin,  N.  Aubin  and  Arthur  St. 
James.  The  first  three  are  veterans  in  the 
service  and  have  accomplished  an  excellent 
work.     The  others  are  making  their  mark. 

For  a  long  time  the  Society  experienced 
much  difficulty  in  obtaining  well  qualified  mis- 
sionaries for  this  peculiar  field.  Converts  who  felt 
called  to  the  ministry  had  received  only  a  very 
limited  general  education  and  were,  of  course, 
utterly  lacking  in  theological  studies.  They 
needed  the  discipline  both  of  the  academy  or 
college,  and  of  the  theological  seminary.  Con- 
sidering these  things,  in  1882,  correspondence 
was  opened  between  the  Home  Mission  Rooms 
and  Newton  Theological  Institution  of  jVTassa- 
chusetts,  concerning  somr;  provision  t  the  In- 
stitution for  the  educatio  1  of  French  students 
for  the  ministry.  It  wa:  suggested  that  as 
Rochester  had  made  arrangements  for  German 
students  and  Chicago  for  Scandinavian  stu- 
dents, it  would  be  the  fitting  thing  for  Newton 
to  provide  tor  the  Fiench.  Financial  as  well 
as  other  considerations  led  the  authorities  at 
Newton  to  hesitate  about  taking  such  a  step. 
Communication  on  the  subject,  however,  was 
kept  up,  and  eventually  in  the  fall  of  1889  the 
French  department  was  opened  with  an  attend- 


ao 


THE   HOME   MIS8I0N   MONTHLY. 


ancc,  the  first  year,  of  six  students.  To  pro- 
'.Tiote  the  enterprise,  the  Home  Mission  Society 
consented  that  Rev.  J.  N.  Williams  should  de- 
vote three  days  each  week  of  the  eight  months' 
session  to  instruction  in  French,  in  homiletics 
and  in  practical  methods  of  missionary  service. 
Most  of  the  students  who  understand  or  acquire 
a  knowlerlge  of  English  take  the  two  years' 
"English  course"  at  Newton  and  go  forth 
very  well  fitted  for  their  work. 

Fourteen  different  students  have  been  in  at- 
tendance since  1889,  two  of  wliom  at  least  have 
returned  to  labor  in  Canada — Bro.  Cote  at  Sorel 
and  15ro.  Bullock  at  ^Maskinonge.  This  ar- 
rangement at  Newton  is  giving  a  great  uplift  to 
our  missions  among  the  French-Canadians,  and 
it  would  be  a  positive  calamity  if,  for  any  rea- 
son, it  should  be  discontinued.  It  is  not  prob- 
able that  many  students  for  the  ministry  will 
come  from  the  Baptist  churches  in  Quebec,  in- 
asmuch as  the  management  of  Feller  Institute 
and  Grande  Ligne  Mission  favor  sending  stu- 
dents to  the  theological  department  of 

MacMaster  Cull»g^e,  Toronto, 

where  they  form  helpful  associations  with  Eng- 
lish students,  who  are  to  be  their  co-laborers  in 
the  Dominion,  while  they  also  receive  compen- 
sation for  their  vacation  missionary  service  in 
the  Grand  Ligne  field.  They  do  not,  however, 
receive  the  training  in  French  that  is  given  at 
Newton.  Perhaps  one  reason,  quite  as  strong 
as  any,  is  that  our  good  brethren  in  Canada 
fear  the  utter  loss  to  their  work  of  students 
who  come  here  and  fall  in  love  with  life  in  the 
United  States. 

A  I'mfeHiiorship  Mreded. 

In  view  of  the  probability  that  large  mission 
work  for  the  French-Canadians  will  be  re- 
quired for  an  indefinite  period,  it  would  be  a 
grand  thing  for  some  benevolent  Baptist  to 
give  $30,000  for  the  endowment  of  a  professor- 
ship in  the  French  department  at  Newton,  so 
long  as  it  shall  be  required.  For  we  must  have 
some  w  ell-trained  minds  to  cope  with  the  subtle- 
ties and  sophistries  of  Romish  ecclesiastics ;  as 
well  as  earnest  evangelists  to  lead  the  common 
people  to  Christ.  Both  are  needed  quite  as 
much  in  this  as  in  any  other  field  of  missionary 
endea\or. 

IlindrHiices. 

The  chief  hindrance,  it  seems  almost  need- 
less to  say,  is  the  powerful  priestly  opposition 
to  all  Protestant  efforts.  Among  French-Can- 
adian Roman  Catholics  the  influence  of  the 
hierarchy   is  almost  unbounded.     The  people 


have  been  taught  to  regard  their  spiritual  ad- 
visers with  awe,  and  to  yield  to  them  an  unques- 
tioning obedience.  When,  therefore,  our  mis- 
sionaries are  denounced  by  the  Romish  priest- 
hood as  emissaries  of  Satan,  no  wonder  the 
people  shuddered  at  their  approach,  shut  doors 
against  them  and  in  every  way  shunned  them. 
When  the  priest  refused  to  give  confirmation 
to  children  who  were  sent  to  the  public  schools, 
no  wonder  that  parents  patronized  paro- 
chial schools.  When  the  priest  told  his 
people  that  it  was  a  mortal  sin  for  them  to 
enter  a  Protestant  house  of  worship — a  sin  that 
he  could  not  forgive,  but  which  must  be  re- 
ferred to  the  Bishop  -no  wonder  that  they  sel- 
dom appeared  in  our  congregations.  And  so 
when  priests  ordered  boycotts  against  business 
men  who  left  their  church  and  became  Pro- 
testants, the  people  withdrew  their  patronage. 
Converts  working  in  the  factories  were  dis- 
placed from  their  positions  by  the  base  cun- 
ning of  the  priests.  The  latest  method  en- 
joined by  the  priesthood  is  that  the  women 
shall  not  speak  to  a  missionary  if  he  calls,  but 
simply  sit  and  stare  at  him  and  say  nothing. 
Priests  have  even  intimidated  Protestant  busi- 
ness men  from  employing  our  converts.  Of 
course,  as  these  things  are  known  among  the 
people,  it  becomes  a  formidable  matter  to  break 
away  from  the  Church  of  Rome,  and  so  makes 
the  work  peculiarly  difficult. 

Popular   Prejudice  and  SuperHtttion. 

Then,  too,  the  general  prejudices  and  super- 
stition of  the  people  themselves  are  arrayed 
against  the  converts  to  make  their  existence  as 
uncomfortable  as  possible  and  compel  their  re- 
turn to  the  church.  Mothers,  especially,  live 
in  a  state  of  religious  anguish  for  their  per- 
verted children.  I  learned  of  a  mother  who 
works  hard  to  get  money  wherewith  to  buy 
blessed  candles  to  burn  for  St.  Joseph  to  inter- 
cede for  the  return  of  her  daughter  from  the 
Baptist  fold,  and  who  has  kept  this  up  for  about 
three  years,  during  which  time  she  has  burned 
over  a  thousand  candles.  The  mother  of  one 
of  our  missionaries  burned  candles  in  a  similar 
manner  for  him,  paying  ordinarily  twenty-five 
cents  apiece  for  them.  These  candles  are 
blessed  by  the  priest  from  whom  they  are  pur- 
chased, and  so  from  her  candle  business  Rome 
derives  a  good  revenue. 

So,<;i»l  Ofitraclitni. 

Converts  arc  social  outcasts  among  their  own 
Roman  Catholic  countrymen,  and  to  the 
French-Canadian,  especially,   social    ostracism 


THE   HOME   MISSION  MONTHLY. 


31 


heir  spiritual  ad- 
)  them  an  unques- 
lerefore,  our  mis- 
lie  Romish  priest- 
,  no  wonder  the 
)roach,  shut  doors 
ly  shunned  them, 
give  confirmation 
he  publir  schools, 
patronized  paro- 
priest    told    his 

sin  for  them  to 
orship — a  sin  that 
hich  must  be  re- 
der  that  they  sei- 
gations.  And  so 
5  against  business 
ind  became  Pro- 
r  their  patronage, 
ctories  were  dis- 
3y  the  base  cun- 
ttest   method   en- 

that  the  women 
•y  if  he  calls,  but 
and  say  nothing. 
1  Protestant  busi- 
lur  converts.  Of 
mown  among  the 
Ic  matter  to  break 
ne,  and  so  makes 

luperHtltloii. 

udiccs  and  super- 
Ives  are  arrayed 
their  existence  as 
compel  their  re- 
's, especially,  live 
h  for  their  per- 
f  a  mother  who 
therewith  to  buy 
.  Joseph  to  inter- 
ughtcr  from  the 
;  this  up  for  about 
e  she  has  burned 
e  mother  of  one 
ndles  in  a  similar 
nrily  twenty-five 
ese  candles  are 
Dm  they  are  pur- 
e  business  Rome 


among  their  own 
1,  and  to  the 
social   ostracism 


„  y  severe  penalty.  In  every  way  possible  he 
is  made  to  feel  that  he  is  under  the  ban,  de- 
spised and  abhorred  by  those  who  should  love 
him  most.  To  face  all  this  is  no  light  matter. 
Indeed,  inquirers  often  come  to  the  mission- 
ary's house,  like  Nicodemus  of  old,  stealthily 
at  night,  for  fear  of  their  people.  To  be  seen 
talking  with  a  Protestant  missionary  has  often 
made  a  man's  life  among  his  fellows  most  un- 
comfortable. 

KnoniirH};einenti4. 

But  there  is  a  brighter  side  to  the    picture. 
The  oldest  and   most   discerning   missionaries 
perceive  many  changes  for  the  better  ;  changes 
altogether   in  our  favor.     Rome  cannot  hedge 
the  people  about  with  an  impenetrable  wall  of 
•idainant.     A  gradual  transformation  is  taking 
place;    a  spirit   of  inquiry  is  abroad|;  fear    of 
priestly   anathemas    is   diminishing,    and   the 
people  are  more  accessible  than    formerly.     A 
few  years  ago   Bro.    Benoit,    in    a   fierce   rain 
storm,  appealed  in  vain  for  shelter.  The  people 
abhorred  him  as  a  heretic  and  a  renegade  from 
their  church.     Now    he  is  on   friendly   terms 
with  tlu  in  and  has  free   access  to  their  homes. 
They  are  more  ready  to  receive  the  Scriptures 
and  other  religious  literature.     Among  them- 
selves there  is  much  discussion  concerning  our 
teachings      An  agent  of  a  business  house,  who 
solicits   the   trade  ot   these  people,   says    ihat 
they   frecjuently  inquire   of  him    about   these 
matters.      In    several    other    instances,    Bro. 
Williams  says,  the  priests  have  politely   asked 
our  converts  not  to  tiouble   Roman  .Catholics 
with  these  subjects  in  controversy  between  us. 
A  Spirit  of  Iiiflepeiicleiice  is  AriMiiiK. 

Men  don't  like  to  be  called  tools  and  slaves  of 
the  priests.  They  have  been  known  to  declare 
that  they  do  not  believe  in  the  priests  as  they  did 
when  they  first  came  hither,  but  nevertheless, 
for  the  sake  of  peace,  remain  in  the  church. 
The  lavv  of  the  land  has  helped  to  develop  this 
spirit  of  disregard  for  priestly  dictation,  and 
has  curbed  the  priesthood  itself.  The  boycott- 
ing business  became  a  costly  indulgence.  At 
Southbridge,  Mass.,  about  three  years  ago,  a 
priest  ordered  a  boycott  against  a  converted 
physician.  He  brought  suit  for  damages  and 
j  got  judgment  for  $i,8oo  against  his  persecu- 
tor. At  Holyoke  a  priest  ordered  a  boycott 
against  an  undertaker  who  attended  some 
Protestant  meetings,  declaring  that  he  would 
neither  marry  nor  bury  any  of  his  flock  who 
used  any  of  the  man's  horses  or  wagons.  It 
nearly  ruiv.ed  his   business.     He,  too,  brought 


suit  and  the  judge  imposed  upon  the  priest   a 
fine  of  $3, GOO.     These   things   cooled    priestly 
ardor  in  this  direction  and  helped  to  give   the 
people  their  liberty,  which    they  are  exercising 
more  and  more.     Best  of  all,  there  is  a  grow- 
ing tendency  among  them  to  regard  the  Word 
of  Ood,  rather  than  the  priest   or  the  church, 
as  final  authority,  and  greater  freedom  in  con- 
versation upon  religious  subjects.     The  young- 
er element,  also,  is  breaking   away   somewhat 
from  the  clannishncss  of  the  older  people,  and 
are  averse  to  being  called   French-Canadians. 
They  are  becoming  liberalized.     I  learned  also 
of  Catholic  parents  who  are  restless  under  the 
requirement    that  their   children    must   attend 
parochial  schools,  and  who  anxiously  await  the 
day  of  their  confirmation,  after  which  they  can 
be  free  nom  any  penalty,  to  attend  the  public 
school,  with  its  superior  advantages  ani  dis- 
cipline. 

The  Gnitpel  Wagon. 
To  reach  the  multitude  who  will  not  coine  to 
a  Protestant  meeting,  the  "Gospel  wagon  "  or 
"Bonne   Nouvelle "    has    been    devised    and 
adopted  with  success.      Bro.  LeClaire,  of  Low- 
ell, procured  about  five  hundred  dollars  for  the 
outfit,  consisting  of  a  good,  strong  horse  and 
the   wagon,    which    is   constructed   something 
like  a  "carryall,"  with  seats  along  both  sides 
for  about  twelve  persons,  and  entered  from  the 
rear  by  two  or  three  iron  steps,  on  which  the 
preacher   stands   as  he   addresses  the  people. 
There  is  also  an  adjustable  stand  for  the  Bible. 
A  small  cabinet  organ  occupies  the  front  end 
of  the  aisle.     The  wagon  is  covered  at  the  top 
and  open  on  the  sides,  and  for  use  at  night  a 
lantern  is  attached  to  each  of  the  four  stand- 
ards at  the  corners.       When  he  began  preach- 
ing from  the  wagon,   in  the  midst  of  a  dense 
French  population  in  Lowell,  there  were  many 
ugly  demonstrations  against  him.      lint  ho  got 
the  ear  of  thousands  who  never  >v(hiI(I   have 
heard  him  otherwise.      It  was  ou'   privilege  to 
be  in  Nashua,  N.  H.,  when  he  ua,  there  with 
the   wagon,   helping  Bro.   liiiei,  in  his  work. 
A  service  was  held  in  the  afternoon  and  another 
in  the   evening.      Two   niglii^   before   at   the 
meeting  the  horse  and  wagon  were  stoned  and 
CNcrcises   seriously   distuilicd   by   the   Roman 
Catholics.     The  leading  offender  was  arrested, 
convicted,  fined  and  told  by  the  justice  that  if 
the  offence  were  repeated  the  penalty  would  be 
far  more  severe.      This  had  a  quieting  effect. 
At  the  services  m  the  evening  there  were  present 
in  the  wagon,  besides  Bro.  Leclaire,  who  made 


32 


TllE    HOME   MISSION   MOMULY. 


\> 


the  principal  address,  and  liro.  E.  Legcr,  who 
effectively  led  the  sinking,  Pastor  IJricn,  Pastor 
White,  of  the  Anicricin  church,  Bro.  Williams, 
three  ladiis  who  assisted  in  singing,  and  my- 
self. As  we  reached  the  appointed  place  and 
paused  under  the  incandescent  lis^ht,  the  music 
began  and  several  hymns  were  sung  at  the 
outset.  The  crowd  quickly  increased  until 
nearly   or  c|uitc  a  thousand  were  assembled. 

An  InterPHlInK  AMneiiibly. 

They  were  mostly  men,  operatives  from  the 
mills.  They  were  comparatively  orderly  and 
attentive  as  Bros.  LeClaire,  Williams  and  my- 
self addressed  them.  From  a  tenement-house 
near  by  a  man  blew  several  blasts  from  a  horn 
to  annoy  us,  but  aside  from  this  there  was  no 
disturbance.  At  the  close  of  the  service  it  was 
surprising  to  see  the  eagerness  with  which  the 
people  presseil  forward  to  get  the  literature  that 
was  offered.  Those  outstretched  and  upturned 
hands,  standing  out  against  the  black  back- 
ground <it  darkness,  made  a  striking  picture 
and  impressively  suggested  what  an  opportun- 
ity awaits  us.  Alas  !  that  many  had  to  go  away 
empty-handed  !  When  the  service  closed,  tlie 
singing  was  continued  as  the  wagon  was  slowly 
driven  away,  n-any  following  to  hear  the  music. 
At  several  other  places,  as  Lynn,  Mass.,  and 
Great  Falls,  N.  H.,  this  means  of  reaching  the 
people  has  pioved  very  effective.  The  fact  that 
the  attendance  is  so  large  and  the  people  listen 
to  the  truth,  proves  that  they  are  in  a  transi- 
tion state,  which  is  favorable  to  our  efforts 
among  them,  and  that  earnest  effort  now  will 
be  richly  rewarded.  Now  is  the  time  to 
sow  bountifully  if  we  would  reap  bountifully 
by  and  by. 

Needs. 

More  missionaries  are  needed.  God  seems 
to  be  raising  them  up  from  the  ranks  of  our 
converts.  There  are  several,  who,  with  two  or 
three  years'  study  would  do  excellent  work. 
They,  however,  need  some  help  to  acquire  an 
education,  inasmuch  as,  generally,  they  have 
families  dependent  upon  them.  Two  or  three 
good  women  missionaries  could  accomplish 
much,  in  visiting  the  women  at  their  homes, 
reading  and  distributing  the  Bible  and  convers- 
ing with  the  women,  who  are  usually  more 
difficult  than  the  men  to  be  reached  by  the 
Gospel.  A  more  liberal  supply  of  the  Scrip- 
tures is  needed.  Grants  that  have  been  made 
have  been  entirely  inadequate  and  sometimes 
not  adapted   to   the   French,    who  reject  the 


small,  fine-printed  page  and  demand  a  clin^; 
open,  large  type.  One  hundred  dollars  will 
secure  about  six  hundred  copies  of  the  New 
Testament  suited  to  their  wants.  W.>  need  at 
least  two  or  three  hundred  on  hand  all  the  time 
for  tegular  and  special  demands. 

More  and  better  tracts  also  ue  greatly 
ner ded.  It  is  hoped  that  some  new  ones  will 
soon  be  brought  out  Funds  are  required  (or 
their  publication  and  dissemination. 

And  especially  is  there  needed  a  religious 
periodical  in  French  that  will  bj  a  bond  of 
union  for  our  Baptist  converts,  imparting  to 
them  the  facts  about  the  work,  indoctiinating 
them,  and  also  informing  others  about  our 
views.  The  Congregationalists  have  such  a 
paper,  toward  the  support  of  which  their  Mass- 
achusetts Board  has  made  a  liberal  appropria- 
tion yearly.  Our  French  Baptists  have  noth- 
ing of  the  kind.  A  number  take  "  V  A  urn  re," 
printed  at  Montreal.  It  is  hoped  that  some- 
thing may  be  done  soon  to  give  them  the 
needed  periodical ;  perhaps  in  connection  with 
our  French  Baptist  brethren  in  Canada.   '■ 

The  greatest  need  is  a  deeper  conviction  of 
our  duty  at  this  hour  to  this  peculiar  peopl>, 
who  have  been  sent  among  us.  It  is  gratifying 
to  note  the  quickened  interest  of  New  England 
Baptists  in  this  work  as  shown  by  the  hearty 
co-operation  of  .some  of  the  State  Conventions, 
most  largely  that  of  Massachusetts.  Unless 
New  England  arouses-  itself  to  the  gravity  of 
the  situation  it  will  incur  the  penalties  of  neg- 
lect, as  the  deepening  shadows  of  error  that  in 
Quebec  have  eclipsed  Gospel  truth,  shall  envelop 
the  land  of  the  Pilgrim  and  the  Puritan,  and  its 
lustre  shall  become  only  a  memory.  We  owe 
it  to  God,  to  our  land,  and  especially  to  the 
people  themselves  to  give  them  the  truth  that 
shall  make  them  free  indeed  H.  L.  M. 


NOTE. 
The  foregoing  art  clea  f.om  The  Baptist 
Home  MisBiou  Monthly,  December,  1893, 
were  prepared  by  Dr.  H.  L.  Morehouse,  Field 
Secretaiy  of  the  American  Baptist  Heme 
Mission  Society,  after  a  peraoualtour  through 
New  England  and  Canada  iu  the  Summer  and 
Fall  of  18a3.  Ttis  pamphlet  will  be  sent  fret) 
to  any  desirhig  it  for  themselves  or  tor  others. 
Special  contributions  to  this  work  are  solic- 
ited. Read,  reflect,  give.  The  favorable  time 
to  press  the  work  of  evangelizing  this  people 
is  NOW. 


i 


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m 


Wtukoop  i  Hallbxreck,  Nbw  Yokk. 


